Applying for a High School Specialty Program
SCUSD Open Enrollment Season for High School Specialty Programs October 30 - November 17, 2023

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Applying for a High School Specialty Program

Parent Information Session: 10/17 @ 5:30 pm, CKM Auditorium, learn about Open Enrollment, then more about CKM’s individual Specialty Programs in breakout sessions.
Family Tour Days: 10/18 and 10/19, 9:00 am – 11:30 am. RSVP to Tour!

Guidance for C.K. McClatchy Specialty Programs

Open Enrollment Season for High School Specialty Programs is upon us! Open Enrollment for Specialty Programs opens October 30th, and closes on November 17th. Open Enrollment is a school choice lottery process housed centrally by the SCUSD Enrollment Center through an online portal called SchoolMint. Completing the Open Enrollment process through SchoolMint is required for ALL families interested in a CKM Specialty Program, for both families in our neighborhood attendance area or within the greater SCUSD boundaries. Please be reminded that residence in our neighborhood attendance area does not ensure enrollment into a Specialty Program. Neighborhood residence simply ensures enrollment into McClatchy. Search for your neighborhood school high school.

CKM has FIVE High School Specialty Programs for SCUSD students to consider:

  1. Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC), Coordinator, Ed Fedor, Ed-Fedor@scusd.edu
  2. Criminal Justice Academy (CJA), Coordinator, Chris Taylor, CTaylor@scusd.edu
  3. Humanities and International Studies Program (HISP), Coordinator, Michael Baradat, michael-baradat@scusd.edu & Brian Perry, brian-perry@scusd.edu
  4. Law and Public Policy Academy (LPPA), Coordinator, Chris Voisin, Chris-Voisin@scusd.edu
  5. Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), Coordinator, Mollie Morrison, Mollie-Morrison@scusd.edu

    Visit the CKM Music Website for more information on music, questions can be directed to Jorge Muñoz, Jorge-Munoz@scusd.edu.

A note about VAPA Enrollment:
Students interested in one of the four VAPA pathways are required to submit a portfolio to Mrs. Morrison (Visual Art), an audition video to Mr. Einweck (Theater), a live audition with Mr. Munoz (Music), or an audition video to Ms. Ruiz (Dance). These instructions are on the CKM VAPA website and must be completed in addition to the SCUSD SchoolMint application. SchoolMint will also send an autoreply to applicants reminding them of this step.
A note about HISP Enrollment:
Students applying to HISP will be asked to attest their commitment to the program’s academic and community service expectations — this step is built into the SCUSD SchoolMint application. Additionally, each submission must include a writing sample in response to the prompt at the form’s end. This essay will not be scored but will instead be a writing sample for HISP teachers to understand the cohort’s baseline writing skills.

Families interested in Open Enrollment for any of these programs should carefully read the SCUSD Specialty Program Open Enrollment website, and apply through SchoolMint.

SCUSD allows families to select a first and second choice Specialty Program on the application. Students who meet program entrance requirements are awarded seats via a lottery system. Students who win a lottery seat in their first choice program will be offered a seat. Students who do not win a seat in their first choice may be offered a seat in their second choice program (if a second choice is indicated). Students who get their second choice will not be on the waiting list for their first choice. SchooMint will notify families of lottery results via text/email and instructions to accept/decline a seat or notify them of placement on a waiting list.

Regarding Dual Enrollment:

After Specialty Program seats have been filled through SCUSD’s lottery process with qualified applicants and all waitlist students, have been admitted, seats may be available for those interested in dual enrollment to more than one academy. For example, if seats remain in VAPA, students in another Specialty Program may inquire with the CKM VAPA department. Please contact the head of that program if you are interested in dual enrollment.

Please contact the specialty program’s coordinator or Principal, Andrea Egan, Andrea-Egan@scusd.edu, with any questions about the Specialty Program process!