The Salem School Committee voted to participate in the state’s Inter-District School Choice Program (see MGL Chapter 76, Section 12B). The program allows parents/guardians to enroll their child in a school district that is not the child’s home district. Local school districts determine, via an annual vote, which grade levels and how many seats will be available.

Applications must be received by June 15, 2024, to qualify for the priority round lottery. Notification of acceptance, rejection or waitlist status will be sent to priority round lottery applicants by July 1, 2024. 

Students currently receiving special education services will be required to provide a current proposed and last-accepted IEP prior to the enrollment process for IEP planning and implementation purposes.  

Applications for school choice will close for the school year on November 1st, 2024. School choice application received after November 1, 2024, will not be considered for the 2024/2025 school year school choice program. 

1.      Former residents of the Salem Public Schools who move out of the District but wish to have their children remain as students in Salem Schools do not have a unique claim to the seats their children vacated and must apply for School Choice as any other non-resident, except as provided in School Committee Policy 5102.01, which allows a student to continue attendance in Salem Public Schools under two circumstances outside of school choice:

• with principal permission in consultation with the superintendent, to continue attendance for purposes of completing the school year, provided that the period of time since the relinquishment of residence and the end of the school year does not exceed three (3) calendar months (note: in situations of hardship, a family may appeal to the superintendent to waive this condition);
• or a student who has continuously attended a Salem elementary or K-8 school for three (3)

continuous school years or a middle or high school for two (2) continuous years may complete his or her schooling to the highest grade level offered at the respective elementary, middle, or high school, regardless of the residence of his or her parents.  Students who do not qualify for the above exceptions may seek to remain in the district via the inter-district school choice program, should Salem participate in the program in the relevant year. 

(see full policy https://salemk12.org/families/enrolling-in-our-schools/school-choice-application/)