Student Transfers

The Huntington Beach City School District (HCBSD) is committed to providing a quality education for all district students. All Intradistrict and Interdistrict transfer requests will be approved or denied based on enrollment capacity and in accordance with relevant California education codes, board policies, and administrative regulations.  

What is an Intradistrict Transfer?

Intradistrict transfer requests are for students who live within the HBCSD school boundaries but would like to attend another school in the HCBSD boundary, other than their school of residence. 

HBCSD permits families to indicate a preference for the school which their child will attend, irrespective of the child's place of residence within the district. The District honors these requests if there is sufficient capacity at the school and grade level without displacing currently enrolled students. The district does give preference to siblings attending the same school (California Education Code Section 35160.5(b)). 

The District allows for intradistrict transfer requests annually during the Open Enrollment window. If there is not sufficient space to accept all requests submitted, the District will hold a lottery to determine student placement. Parents will be notified of the lottery outcome and then confirm open enrollment acceptance as applicable. Please see the Open Enrollment section for more information.

An interdistrict transfer agreement is when parents/guardians wish to enroll their student(s) at a school other than the designated school that is in their attendance area outside of the district (California Education Code Section 46600). Interdistrict transfer agreements must be approved by both the student's original district of residence and the district to which the student seeks to transfer. Both districts must approve the agreement before it becomes valid. It is within the authority of either the home district or the receiving district to revoke an interdistrict transfer agreement at any time for any reason the local board or district superintendent deems appropriate. If a request for an interdistrict transfer agreement is denied, the student's parents/guardians may file an appeal to the Orange County Department of Education.

Please see the sections below for more information regarding outgoing and incoming interdistrict transfers. 

OUTGOING Interdistrict Transfers

Please click on the PDF below to access the outgoing interdistrict transfer form. This form should be completed by families that live within the HBCSD student boundary but wish to attend school in a different district. After completing all required sections email the form to: pketcham@hbcsd.us

• HBCSD Interdistrict Transfer Form - Outgoing 2023-24 (next school year)
• HBCSD Interdistrict Transfer Form - Outgoing 2022-23 (current school year)
• Education Code - Student Transfers

INCOMING Interdistrict Transfers

The HBCSD Board of Trustees updated Board Policy 5117 in January 2021 that directs all permits for interdistrict student attendance into HBCSD to be denied and that authorization of new permits cease, except for students of permanent HBCSD employees who have worked a minimum of six (6) months for the district as long as they continue to work for the district as a permanent employee. If a student's Interdistrict Transfer request is denied, families will be notified in writing of their right to appeal to the Orange County Department of Education. 

Families that would like to request an Interdistrict Transfer must request a transfer form from their district of residence first. HBCSD processes interdistrict transfers in the order received. 

Open enrollment is available only to residents of the Huntington Beach City School District. Depending on availability, the parent/guardian of any school-age resident student may request a transfer for their child to attend a school other than their school of residence. The District allows for intradistrict transfer requests annually during the Open Enrollment window. If there is not sufficient space to accept all requests submitted, the District will hold a lottery to determine student placement. Parents will be notified of the lottery outcome and then confirm open enrollment acceptance as applicable. 

The Open Enrollment application window for the 2023-24 school year closed on February 24, 2023.  Intradistrict transfer requests that are received after February 24, 2023 will be placed on a waiting list and will only be approved on a space availability basis in late spring or summer.

This process is for NEW requests only. Students who have already completed an intradistrict transfer previously do not need to submit an additional request for the 2023-2024 school year.

To complete the electronic Intradistrict Transfer/Open Enrollment Waiting List application, please click on the link below. 

Intradistrict Transfer/Open Enrollment Waiting List - 2023-24