Davis School District administers open enrollment through boundary permits, which let a student attend a school outside their assigned boundary. Applications for grades 7\u201312 run from November 15 through the first Friday in February, cost $5 each, and are filled by a computerized random number drawing \u2014 applying on day one gives no advantage. Elementary follows a different timeline with no late window. Permits expire at every level transition, and program placements like Dual Language Immersion work by an entirely separate set of rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Jared B. Bryson<\/a> | Updated August 7, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most Davis County buyers treat a school boundary as a fixed feature of a house, like the lot size. Price gets adjusted upward for a desired boundary, and the search gets narrowed to match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That framing is incomplete in both directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boundaries move \u2014 the district redraws them as enrollment shifts. And boundaries are not the only path to a school. Utah law provides for open enrollment, and Davis School District runs a permit system that thousands of families use every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding how that system works changes how much weight a boundary should carry in your search. It is not a reason to ignore boundaries. It is a reason to stop treating them as the whole answer. If you are already weighing a specific city, our Davis County homeowner guides<\/a> cover the neighborhood-level picture alongside this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything below comes from the district\u2019s published permit materials and policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A boundary permit \u2014 also called an open enrollment permit \u2014 allows a student to attend a Davis School District school other than the one assigned to their home address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Availability is limited by state law and by each school\u2019s capacity. A permit is a request, not an entitlement. The district publishes open-enrollment status per school so you can see which schools are accepting applications before you plan around one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: Davis School District, Boundary Permits, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a $5 fee per application<\/strong>, and no limit on how many schools you apply to. Separate requests, $5 each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondary and elementary permits run on separate calendars with different rules. Confusing them is the most common way families miss a window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source: Davis School District, Boundary Permits timeline, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Three differences worth marking:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the part that changes the calculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the window closes, the district conducts a computerized random number drawing<\/strong> and fills available spots. Applicants who applied during the window but were not selected go onto a waitlist, which the district works through until the end of first semester. No new applications are accepted after the window closes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two consequences follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Applying early gives you nothing.<\/strong> The district\u2019s permit team fields a surge of calls around November 15, but every application submitted between November 15 and the first Friday in February is considered equally. Day-one submission carries no priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sibling permits go into the same draw.<\/strong> They are included in the random number selection process, not exempted from it. The district notes it tries to keep families together where possible, but a sibling connection is a factor within the process, not a bypass around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One wrinkle families miss: a sibling permit does not help if the older sibling graduates before the younger one starts. A senior does nothing for an incoming tenth grader. A junior does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So: a permit is a lottery ticket with decent odds at some schools and poor odds at others. If your housing plan depends on getting one, you are building on a coin flip. Check the school\u2019s open-enrollment status before you assume anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Programs including Dual Language Immersion (DLI)<\/strong>, DEEP<\/strong>, and International Baccalaureate (IB)<\/strong> are placements<\/em>, not permits. They do not require a boundary permit at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is the part with long-term consequences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A student placed in a program is assigned to the school offering that program and then follows that school\u2019s feeder pattern.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Read that again in the context of a home purchase. A first-grade DLI placement puts your child in a program school. That school\u2019s feeder pattern \u2014 not your home boundary\u2019s \u2014 then carries them through junior high and into a high school. A decision made when your child is six can determine where they graduate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is not a problem. It is a mechanism, and it can work strongly in your favor if you understand it going in. But it means the boundary attached to your address may not be the path your child actually travels<\/strong>, and almost no one shopping for a house in Davis County knows this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sibling rules differ between the two programs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have more than one child and are weighing these programs, that distinction is worth confirming with the district before it drives a housing decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A permit covers one level. That is it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A new permit is required at each transition.<\/strong> If you do not apply for the next level, your student returns to their boundary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where families get caught. A permit won in third grade feels permanent by sixth grade. It is not. The junior high application window opens in November of sixth grade, and missing it sends your student back to the boundary school in seventh \u2014 after four years of assuming otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related, for ninth graders: a student who wants a different high school submits a permit through myDSD under Tools for the following school year, tenth grade. Applying at that point is what preserves eligibility for ninth-grade activities at the target school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Register at your boundary school if a decision hasn\u2019t arrived.<\/strong> If the requested school holds registration before your permit decision comes through, register at your boundary school. You cannot register at the requested school without an approved permit email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No tryouts before approval.<\/strong> Students must wait for the approved permit email before participating in tryouts. The district states plainly that boundary permits exist for educational placement, not athletics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An \u201copen\u201d school can still deny you.<\/strong> At elementary, permits depend on classroom capacity and grade-level availability \u2014 third grade may have room while fourth and fifth are full. Secondary schools evaluate overall school capacity instead. A school listed as open is not a guarantee for your specific grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apply to more than one school.<\/strong> No limit, $5 each. Four applications costs $20 and meaningfully improves your position in a random draw. This is the cheapest risk mitigation available in the entire process and most families use only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spanish-language versions<\/strong> of both the Boundary Permits and Open Enrollment Permits documents are published by the district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [TODO \u2014 JARED: 2\u20134 sentences in your voice before this publishes. Suggested angles: how often buyers assume a boundary is the whole answer; whether you have seen a family time a purchase around a permit window; the permit-expires-at-transition surprise. Keep it procedural \u2014 no commentary on which schools are in demand.]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Jared B. Bryson, Bryson Real Estate<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Davis County\u2019s population has passed 380,000, with the heaviest growth along the west side. Growth fills schools, and full schools accept fewer permits \u2014 which means the permit option is least available in exactly the corridors where the most people are moving. The district posts capacity and openings every November 15 alongside the prior year\u2019s acceptance data, so the trend is public and checkable. If a permit is part of your plan, look at how many were accepted at that school last year before you count on this year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n When can I apply for a boundary permit in Davis School District?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For grades 7\u201312, the application window runs from November 15 through the first Friday in February. For elementary grades, the window runs from November 15 through the end of first semester of the following school year. Elementary has no late application period; secondary does, with late variance requests opening March 1 and closing about three weeks before school starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does applying early improve my chances of getting a boundary permit?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n No. Every application submitted during the open window is considered equally, and spots are filled by a computerized random number drawing after the window closes. Submitting on November 15 carries no advantage over submitting in late January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much does a Davis School District boundary permit cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Five dollars per application, paid through myDSD or by phone. There is no limit on how many schools a family may apply to, though each requires a separate request and a separate fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do boundary permits carry over from year to year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not across level transitions. A permit covers elementary grades 1\u20136, junior high grades 7\u20139, or high school grades 10\u201312. A new permit is required at each transition, and a student who does not reapply returns to their boundary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do Dual Language Immersion and IB work with boundary permits?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n They are placements, not permits, and do not require a boundary permit. A student placed in a program attends the school offering it and then follows that school\u2019s feeder pattern \u2014 which may differ from the pattern for their home address. For DEEP, only the enrolled student is guaranteed placement; for DLI, siblings generally receive placement as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why would a permit be denied at a school that shows as open?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At elementary, decisions depend on classroom capacity and grade-level availability, so one grade may have space while another is full. Secondary schools evaluate overall school capacity rather than individual classrooms. Open status indicates the school is accepting applications, not that space exists at every grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can my student try out for a sport before the permit is approved?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n No. Students must wait for the approved permit email before participating in tryouts. The district specifies that boundary permits are intended for educational placement rather than athletics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A boundary permit is a real option with a fixed calendar, a $5 fee, and a random draw at the end of it. It widens the map you can shop \u2014 but only if you know the window, check the capacity, and understand that program placements follow entirely different rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the wider market picture as you plan timing, see the latest Davis County housing market report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a specific school or boundary is shaping your search, I can set up a search filtered to homes inside those boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set Up a District-Specific Search<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy This Matters Before You Buy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What a Boundary Permit Is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Situation<\/th> How to apply<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Current district family<\/td> myDSD \u2192 Tools<\/strong> \u2192 Apply for Open Enrollment Permit<\/td><\/tr> Inactive in myDSD (charter, homeschool, returning)<\/td> Call 801-402-5159<\/strong> \u2014 online application is not available<\/td><\/tr> Kindergarten<\/td> Apply in person at the requested school<\/strong>, and register at your boundary school<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The Two Timelines Are Different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Grades 7\u201312 (Secondary)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Date<\/th> What happens<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> October 1<\/td> Official enrollment count posted<\/td><\/tr> November 15<\/td> Next year\u2019s projections, capacities, and openings posted, plus prior year\u2019s application and acceptance data<\/td><\/tr> Nov 15 \u2013 1st Friday in February<\/strong><\/td> Application window open<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> March 1<\/td> Random number drawing conducted; late variance requests begin<\/td><\/tr> March 1 \u2013 March 31<\/td> Decision emails sent<\/td><\/tr> March 15<\/td> Non-continuation notices must be received<\/td><\/tr> April 1<\/td> Actual enrollments and adjusted capacity posted<\/td><\/tr> August (3 weeks prior)<\/td> Late variance window closes<\/td><\/tr> August (Friday before school)<\/td> Late application decisions issued<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Grades K\u20136 (Elementary)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stage<\/th> What happens<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> October 1<\/td> Official enrollment count posted<\/td><\/tr> November 15<\/td> Projections, capacities, and openings posted<\/td><\/tr> Nov 15 \u2013 end of 1st semester of the following year<\/strong><\/td> Application window open<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Winter<\/td> Schools review by capacity, staffing, and grade-level availability<\/td><\/tr> Spring \/ Summer<\/td> Rolling decisions as enrollment shifts<\/td><\/tr> Friday before school starts<\/td> Principals notify approval or denial<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n
How Selection Actually Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Placements Are Not Permits \u2014 and This One Matters Most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Permits Expire at Every Transition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Level<\/th> Grades covered<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Elementary<\/td> 1\u20136<\/td><\/tr> Junior High<\/td> 7\u20139<\/td><\/tr> High School<\/td> 10\u201312<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Practical Mechanics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What I\u2019m Seeing in the Field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Bigger Picture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Use This When You\u2019re House Hunting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where to Go From Here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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