2: How, Where and When to Register?

For SY 2012-2013 registrants: Please register as soon as possible

For SY 2013-2014 registrants: Kindergarten, 6th and 9th Grade registration starts in early January with all other grades to follow starting in February (see below).

Once families are familiar with their school choices, they must prepare the documents that are required for BPS Registration and bring them to a Family Resource Center. For families registering for the upcoming school year, new to BPS applicants for Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 9 should register in Round One, and all other new to BPS applicants should register in Round Two. BPS students completing the highest grade at their current school receive their selection form from school.

Please note: Exam School applicants follow a different process and timeline. Please see the Exam Schools page for more information.

2.1 Required Documents
2.2 Online Pre-Registration
2.3 Family Resource Centers
2.4 Registration Rounds

Were you looking for a charter school and not a Boston Public School?
Please see Massachusetts Charter Public School Association and Massachusetts Charter Schools for more information.

How to Register

2.1 Required Documents

The following documents are required for registration:

All of these:

Child’s original birth certificate (with raised seal). If you cannot provide the original birth certificate, a passport, or Form I-94 is acceptable. Use of alternatives requires completion of a BPS Parent Affidavit. Students who were previously in BPS may provide their BPS student number instead.
Child's up-to-date immunization record. See this chart of required immunizations. Contact BPS Health Services, 617-635-6788 if you have questions.
Parent/Guardian photo identification

Two of these:
Documents must be pre-printed with the name and current address of the student's parent/guardian (or the student if 18 years of age or older). Items may not be from the same bullet.

A Utility Bill (not water or cell phone) dated within the past 60 days
A current Lease, Section 8 Agreement, or BPS Landlord Affidavit
A Deed, Mortgage Payment dated within the past 60 days, or property tax bill dated within the past year. Deeds may be downloaded from www.suffolkdeeds.com
A W2 form dated within the year or a Payroll Stub dated within the past 60 days
A Bank or Credit Card Statement dated within the past 60 days. For online bill payment, a printout of the statement may also be acceptable, if it includes the parent/guardian name, home address and date
A Letter from an Approved Government Agency* dated within the past 60 days

*Approved government agencies: Departments of Revenue (DOR), Children and Family Services (DCF), Transitional Assistance (DTA), Youth Services (DYS), Social Security, any communications on Commonwealth of Massachusetts letterhead

At a minimum, families registering for school should bring five documents to the Family Resource Center:

Child's original birth certificate (if necessary, passport or I-94)
Child's up-to-date immunization record
Parent/Guardian photo ID
First proof of Boston residency as outlined above
Second proof of Boston residency - may not be from the same bullet as the first

Required Documents: Download a complete checklist here. This includes the chart of required immunizations by grade level.

2.2 Online Pre-Registration

BPSExpress is our online pre-registration site for families to electronically send standard information to the Family Resource Centers before their visit. This step is optional but highly recommended for applicants who are not currently enrolled in BPS. BPSExpress opens in Mid-December for the upcoming school year.

Why use BPSExpress?

Families can complete portions of their application from the comfort of their home
Filling out forms electronically reduces errors and saves time
BPSExpress users access a separate service line at the Family Resource Center during peak registration times

BPSExpress is only pre-registration. Families still need to visit a Family Resource Center with their required documents in order to complete registration. At the end of online pre-registration, BPSExpress provides a printable summary with a receipt number. Please bring this summary with you to the FRC.

Go to BPSExpress now.

To see samples of BPS Registration forms, click here and here.

Home Language Survey and Testing

As a regular part of BPS Registration, parent/guardian(s) fill out the Home Language Survey (HLS), a questionnaire on the languages spoken and heard by the registrant at home and among family and friends. The results of the HLS may indicate that further language assessment at our Newcomer Assessment and Counseling Center (NACC) is needed prior to the completion of registration. The results of the assessment may qualify children for educational programs that benefit English language learners. Staff at NACC will consult with parents about the assessment and any services or programs they recommend.

If an assessment is needed, the FRC staff administering your case will make an appointment for your child with NACC, as well as provide you with the address of the Center and directions on how to get there. Applicants who participate in the language assessment at NACC are able to complete their registration during their visit there. No return trip to an FRC is needed.

BPS English Language Learner webpage

Where to Register

2.3 Family Resource Centers

New registrants must bring all of the documents required for BPS Registration to an FRC in order for registration to occur. If BPSExpress was used, please bring a printed copy of the pre-registration summary in addition to the required documents. All New to BPS families and students who are not currently enrolled in a BPS school must complete registration at one of our Centers.

Note: families can register at any of our Centers regardless of their assignment zone.

East Zone Family Resource Center
1216 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester (driveway besides Burger King)
617-635-8015
Help available in Cape Verdean Creole, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese
North Zone Family Resource Center
75 Malcolm X Blvd., Roxbury (Madison Park "play space" entrance)
617-635-9010
Help available in Cantonese, English, Mandarin, Haitian Creole , and Spanish
West Zone Family Resource Center
515 Hyde Park Ave., Roslindale (near Cummins Highway)
617-635-8040
Help available in Cape Verdean Creole, English, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish

East Boston Satellite Registration Center (open Tuesdays only during the school year, except in January, when the site is open three days a week)
312 Border St., East Boston (south side of Umana Academy)
617-635-9597
Help in English and Spanish

HOURS of OPERATION:

All full-time centers are open on school days, 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., except Wednesdays.
Wednesdays, full-time centers are open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The East Boston Satellite Center is open Tuesdays during the school year from
8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Family Resource Centers are closed on federal, state and city holidays.

2012/2013 Holiday and Vacation Schedule:

During school vacations Family Resource Centers consolidate. Please refer to the following list to learn more:

February Vacation: Only the West Zone FRC is open (normal hours)
April Vacation: Only the North Zone FRC is open (normal hours)
July 1-July 12: All FRCs are closed
July 15-August 2: Only the East Zone FRC is open (normal hours)

In addition to registration, our Centers also provide the following:

Transfers within BPS
Change of Address within Boston
Edit Information (new phone number, emergency contact, etc.)
Information on Boston Public Schools (in-print and in-consultation)
Assistance accessing English Language Learners and Special Education services
Student Work Permits (when BPS schools are closed or for non-BPS students)

What to Expect at the Family Resource Center:

An FRC staff member will greet you and ask you to sign in
When you are called, an FRC staff member will ask how s/he can help you
Depending on your case, the FRC staff member will check that you have all the required documents for your address change, edit information, registration, and/or transfer request
If you have all the required documents, the FRC staff member will help you complete your case
If you do not have all the required documents, the FRC staff member will review with you which documents are needed and how you can obtain them (see above for required documents)
If you are registering for school and need further assessment at the Newcomer Assessment and Counseling Center (NACC), your FRC staff member will make an appointment for you at the NACC and provide instructions as to how to complete your case

BPS Newcomer Assessment and Counseling Center
55 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury (next to O'Bryant)
617-635-1565
By appointment only

When to Register

2.4 Registration Rounds

BPS Registration for the upcoming school year occurs in four Rounds. Assignment does not occur until the end of each round and is NOT "first-come, first-served" for students who registered in the same round. However, students are assigned to schools after each round, leading to fewer open seats with each passing round. Therefore, families should try to register during their earliest possible round.

Round One
Kindergarten, Grade 6, Grade 9
January 3, 2013 - February 1, 2013

New to BPS families seeking an assignment to these grades should register at an FRC during this period. Students already in BPS moving up to Grade 6 and 9 will receive their Assignment Application from their current schools. Families that need to register siblings in addition to children that fall within Round One may register all their children at the same time; however, the children who are applying for grades other than those noted will not be assigned until the close of Round Two.

Please note: Round One of 2013-2014 Registration has ended as of February 1. To register for School Year 2013-2014 or to request a 2013-2014 transfer, please visit an FRC during Round Two (dates listed below).

Round Two
All grades
February 6, 2013 - March 22, 2013

Only children who are not currently in BPS need to be registered at an FRC. All BPS students in the last grade of their current school . and AWC-eligible students will receive their Assignment Application at school.

Assignment notices for this round will be sent home mid-May.

Round Three
All grades
March 25, 2013 - May 10, 2013

Assignment notices for this round will be sent home mid-June.

Round Four
All grades
May 13, 2013 - June 14, 2013

Assignment notices for this round will be sent home mid-July.

After Rounds are completed
All grades
Ongoing

Assignments will be made on an ongoing basis.