Middle School Information Night was held on October 26, 2020 at 7 p.m., where families learned about the registration process and learn more about their neighborhood and option schools for the 2021-22 school year. If you missed the event, watch the Middle School Information Night video or view the PowerPoint presentation.
General Middle School Options & Transfers Application Information for School Year 2021-22
| Option Middle Schools & Programs Application Timeline | |
| Application Window: CLOSED | Nov. 2, 2020 – Jan. 15, 2021 |
| Lottery | Jan. 29, 2021 |
| Lottery Notification | Feb. 8, 2021 |
| Accept/Decline | Feb. 22, 2021 |
| Middle School Neighborhood Transfers Application Timeline | |
| Application Window: CLOSED | Feb. 22, 2021 – March 15, 2021 |
| Lottery | March 22, 2021 |
| Lottery Notification | March 30, 2021 |
| Accept/Decline | April 9, 2021 |
- Option Schools/Programs: Spanish Immersion Program at Gunston, Montessori Middle Years Program at Gunston, and H-B Woodlawn (Grades 6-8).
- Neighborhood Transfers: The application period to apply for a neighborhood middle school transfers will open on Feb. 22, 2021. Information about middle school transfers for the 2021-22 school year is available on the Middle School Requesting a Transfer webpage.
- Information Night: Watch the Middle School Information Night video or view the PowerPoint presentation. In addition, each middle school offers a school-based information session for families.
- Waitlists: Middle school neighborhood transfer waitlists will be maintained by the APS Welcome Center until May 1, 2021. Options seats are continuously filled throughout the school year as seats become available. Families will be notified if they are on the waitlist and a seat becomes available. If families do not accept or decline a seat by the deadline, the available seat is given to the next student on the waitlist. All waitlists reset when the options and transfers period begins each year, so families must reapply if they are still interested in attending a school or program they applied to previously.
- Sibling Preference: Sibling preference is not currently offered at the middle school level.
- Transportation: Transportation is available for students attending option schools/programs who live outside their school’s walk zone (View school bus eligibility maps). All transportation for option school and programs is provided via hub stops. Hub stops are central locations—such as a community center or school—where students from several neighborhoods meet to catch the bus to their school and may be a longer distance from a student’s residence. Transportation is not provided for neighborhood transfers or administrative placements.
- FAQs: Families should review the Secondary Options and Transfers FAQs for answers to questions frequently received about the options and transfers process.
- Lottery Information: The 2021-22 school year lotteries for the middle and high school option programs were held on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The recording of the lotteries is available online.
- To Apply: Apply for middle school options and transfers through the online application portal.
Additional information on middle school options and transfers is available on the Middle School Options and Transfers page.
Secondary lottery information for SY 2020-21 for students who received an offer through the secondary lottery for an option school/program or neighborhood transfer.
For additional information or questions, please contact the APS Welcome Center at 703-228-8000 or schooloptions@apsva.us.
