Pasadena Families Face Nov. 10 Priority Enrollment Deadline
Parents of siblings and students moving up to sixth or ninth grade must submit a separate SchoolMint application for each child by Nov. 10, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Pasadena Unified School District opened its priority enrollment application period for the 2027-28 school year on Oct. 20, 2026, covering sibling and continuing-program priority. The window closes Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, at 4 p.m., and families must submit a separate application for each student through SchoolMint.
Why it matters
Priority placement is the most reliable way for siblings of current students and students continuing in the same program to keep their school plans intact when seats are limited. Families who miss this window fall back into the general Open Enrollment lottery, where placement is less certain.
Sibling Priority covers siblings of enrolled PUSD students who live at the same address and will attend the same school at the same time. Continuing Program Priority covers current PUSD students moving into sixth or ninth grade who want to stay in the same program; the first general lottery runs Jan. 14-28, 2027, for families who miss the priority window.
The players
Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD)
The public school district serving Pasadena, operating the Office of Enrollment that runs the priority application process and the SchoolMint portal.
SchoolMint
The online enrollment platform through which PUSD families submit school applications.
The details
Families complete a separate application for each student through SchoolMint at pusd.schoolmint.com, and staff at the PUSD Office of Enrollment can help complete and submit forms during the Wednesday, Nov. 4 virtual workshop and the Friday, Nov. 6 in-person sessions at the PUSD Education Center, 351 S. Hudson Ave. Where applications exceed available seats, placements are made by random lottery. Results appear online by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 3, 2026, and families receiving offers must accept them by Dec. 11, 2026.
Timeline
Oct. 20, 2026, 9 a.m.: priority application period opens.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, 6-7 p.m.: virtual application-support workshop.
Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, 10 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m.: in-person help sessions at the Education Center.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, 4 p.m.: priority application period closes.
Dec. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m.: priority results posted online.
The Home Front
Enrollment priority rules shape where families can plan to live and stay, since a child's school assignment often factors into household location and move decisions. The district's sequence of priority placement followed by a general lottery is the structure families must plan around each year.
If you have a child entering sixth or ninth grade, or a younger sibling of a current PUSD student, submit a separate SchoolMint application for each child before Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. If you need help, the Nov. 4 virtual workshop and Nov. 6 in-person sessions at 351 S. Hudson Ave. are the places to get it.
The takeaway
Priority placement closes before the general lottery, so the Nov. 10 deadline is the decision point for sibling and continuing-program families in Pasadena. Calendar Dec. 3 for results and Dec. 11 for accepting any offer.
What happens next
The first general Open Enrollment lottery runs Jan. 14-28, 2027, for families who did not apply during the priority period. Priority results post Dec. 3, 2026, and offers must be accepted by Dec. 11, 2026.
Further reading
For more on how middle and high school placement works, browse our Secondary Education coverage.
More information
Start or check your child's application on the SchoolMint online application portal for PUSD.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pasadena Now.
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