Enrollment

Palms Middle School is four schools in one, sharing the campus, facilities, and educational programs:

• The Palms home school, for students in the Palms attendance area
• The Palms Modern Media and Communications Magnet
• The Palms Gifted/High Ability Magnet
• The Palms School for Advanced Studies (April and May is the application period for the following Fall)

Qualifying home school students are selected for the Honors program, which is academically equivalent to the Magnet Program.

Basic enrollment requirements, rules, and policies are set by the school district. Enrollment procedures are outlined below.

See also:

• Medical Information for immunization requirements.
• School Statistics for information about the number of Palms students by school, class sizes, ethnicity, etc.
• Camp Palms for the Palms new-student orientation program.
• Parent Check-In for the check-in events by grade level

Magnet Application Details

The Choices brochure

You will not be mailed a Choices brochure. Instead, you will be able to submit your application to the Magnet Program through an online process.

For those families who do not have online access, a limited number of paper copies of the brochure will be available at schools, local libraries, and LAUSD offices. Palms parents may use the computers in the Parents room here at Palms next to the library to submit their application.

Who should apply:

• Families with elementary school students who want to apply to either magnet program, whether or not they are in a magnet elementary school
• Families with students in charter schools who want to apply to either magnet program
• Families with students in private schools who want to apply to either magnet program
• Families with current non-magnet Palms students who want to apply to either Palms magnet program
• Families with 8th grade students who want to apply to magnet high school programs

Note: Current 6th and 7th grade students in a Palms Magnet do not have to apply in order to stay in the same Palms Magnet for 7th and 8th grade.

When to apply

The application period is usually from October through November.

How to apply

The simplest choice for most parents will be to apply online once the application period begins. Complete instructions can be found on the LAUSD eChoices page.

Note: In order to apply online you will need to set up an account for the Parent Portal. In order to set up an account you will need to make sure the LAUSD school your child is currently attending has your current email address and current emergency contact phone number on file. If you have not turned in that information to the school, you will NOT be able to sign up for an account. Once the school has ensured this information is up to date in their systems (it will take 24 hours once the school submits it), you will be able to self-register for an account on this website. You will then be sent a link to get started. Start this process today to ensure you will have your account ready in time. Do not wait.

Other information can be found on the LAUSD eChoices page.

Information From LAUSD

• How Do I Enroll My Child in School?
• Magnet Programs: LAUSD eChoices
• School for Advanced Studies

        ⬇Download flyer for Choices Fair

Incoming 7th Graders

If your child will be in the 7th Grade in the Fall, make sure to submit your child's immunization record, with proof of the Tdap booster shot. For more information see the Medical Information page.

How to Enroll at Palms Middle School

Stop by the Palms main office starting in August to turn in enrollment forms or ask for information in person.

Also, plan to attend the Parent Check-In Day for your child's grade level, held in mid-August before school starts.

Check if you live in the Palms Middle School attendance area using the Resident School Identifier.

If you live in the Palms Middle School attendance area

Your child is eligible to attend Palms because Palms is your "home school."

If your child currently attends a Palms feeder elementary school then your child will be automatically enrolled at Palms. His or her student information will be sent to Palms by his or her elementary school in the Spring. All students coming from feeder elementary schools receive a welcome letter and an enrollment confirmation from Palms Middle School in the summer.

If your child does not currently attend a Palms feeder elementary school (e.g., your child is home-schooled, is attending a private school, or you will be moving into the Palms attendance area) then you should come to Palms to pick up enrollment forms, or use the Downloadable Forms for Parents below.

If you do not live in the Palms attendance area

You can apply to the Palms School for Advanced Studies (SAS). See that page for the application process.

The Palms Modern Media and Communications Magnet and the Palms Gifted/High Ability Magnet also accept applicants from any LAUSD attendance area through the Choices application (https://echoices.lausd.net). See the instructions below.

After the magnet application period closes: If you submitted an application you received a notification of whether or not you were accepted or put on the waiting list in April. If your child is gifted and was placed on the waiting list, you can still apply to the Palms School for Advanced Studies (SAS) program.

Applications are made available online, at the local school district office, and at public libraries. A limited number of copies are made available at Palms. Parents can also use a computer set up for this purpose in the Magnet Office.

Dates for the 2024-2025 SAS application (see the SAS page for details)

• Application period: March 2024
• Notifications mailed: April 2024

Dates for the 2024-2025 Magnet application (see Magnet Programs for details)

• Applications available: September 2023
• Applications first accepted: October 2023
• Application deadline: November 2023