3rd Largest in Iowa
14,000+Students enrolled
Welcome to the School Choice Permit. Parents/guardians may request a permit for their student to attend a Cedar Rapids school outside of their resident attendance area.
If your student is NEW to Cedar Rapids Community School District or returning after an absence, please complete New Student Registration before submitting this permit request.
Important Guidelines
- Transportation: The district does NOT provide busing for permit students. Families are fully responsible for transportation to and from their choice school.
- Placements & Capacity: All placements are strictly contingent upon building and grade-level capacity. Review is based on reasons such as school closures, changing boundaries, or staff/sibling connections.
- Permit Duration: Once confirmed, a permit remains in effect through the highest grade of that building and follows the standard feeder path, provided you remain a district resident.
- Notifications: All status updates and results will be sent to you via email.
Boundaries: Enter your address to find your assigned boundary school for the 2026-2027 OR 2027-2028 school year.
Permit Eligibility & Reasons
A permit may be requested for one of the following reasons:
- We moved, but want to stay: Our student moved outside the school boundaries but wants to remain at their current school. (Updated proof of residency required)
- School closing or boundary changes: Our student is impacted by school closures or boundary shifts for the 2027–28 school year.
- Sibling or Staff connection: A sibling attends, or a parent/guardian works at the requested school.
- Unique circumstances: We are requesting a transfer due to unique family needs
Who Does NOT Need to Apply?
You can skip this process if any of the following apply to your student:
- Existing Permits: If your student is already attending a school on a permit and that school is not scheduled for closure, their permit remains valid. No renewal is necessary.
- Magnet Schools: Students currently attending a Magnet school via the lottery system, or those just accepted to enroll for the Fall of 2026, do not need to apply for a permit to remain at their current school.
How to Apply
To apply for an Early School Choice Permit Process application, please complete the online form for EACH individual student.
- Address Verification: We verify all requests using your address in Infinite Campus. If you have moved recently, please update your records by bringing a proof of residence to your school office or emailing it to indistrictpermits@crschools.us before applying to avoid processing delays.