Choice School Timeline

Application Process:

Choice Schools and programs are open to all students.  Students must submit an online application to be considered for enrollment in the school or program. The application window opens December 1st at 8:00 AM and closes January 15th at 11:59 PM. The application must be completed by the parent or guardian.

Priorities and Restrictions:

Choice Schools are open to all students with some priorities and restrictions, including, but not limited to:

• Priority to incoming siblings who reside in the same household and who will attend the same school
• Priority to ECISD full-time employees who work at the same Choice School 
• Priority to families who reside within Ector County

Application for Multiple Children:

ECISD does everything possible to keep families together; however, it is possible to have one child accepted and the other child on a waitlist. 

Students with Disabilities:

For students with disabilities, the 504 or ARD committees determine which instructional and related services are required for the student and recommend placement based on the student’s IEP currently in effect. An invitation through the lottery process shall be denied if the 504 or ARD committee recommend services not available at the assigned campus.

Waitlist Information:

Students not selected during the lottery process will be randomly placed on a waitlist for possible future placement.  All schools follow the waitlisted order with siblings being given priority at the top of the waitlist, if not selected.  The waitlist remains in place through December when the application opens for the following school year.

Late Applications:

Applications are considered late if they are received after January 15th.  The Choice Application will re-open on March 15th, and all late applicants will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis.

ECISD selects students for Choice Schools through an automated lottery system which maintains the integrity of our processes while providing transparency to our community.

There are two possible outcomes after this process:

• Accepted:  The lottery ran and the student was selected to fill a seat at one of their options.
• Waitlist: The lottery ran and the student was not selected to fill a seat and is therefore assigned to the waitlist. Parents can see what number their child is on the waitlist by logging into their dashboard.

During the lottery, the system processes all ‘eligible’ applications equitably. Applications are coded as ‘eligible’ once parents have met all campus requirements.  During the lottery, all 'eligible' first choice applications are considered and placed. If a student is not selected, their 'eligible' application is placed into a lottery for their second option, and if not selected, then their third choice. Students who are not selected for any of their options will then be placed on a waitlist for their first school option only.

As openings become available, Choice Schools will accept students from their waitlist.

Here are three scenarios which explain how the lottery works. A student applies to three schools:

• School A (1^st choice)

• School B (2^nd choice)

• School C (3^rd choice)

Scenario #1:

The lottery runs and the student gets the following outcome:

• School A (1^st choice): Selected - Student is not considered for School B or C.  A seat is offered to the student to attend School A.
• School B (2^nd Choice): The application is cancelled since student was selected for School A.
• School C (3^rd Choice): The application is cancelled since student was selected for School A.

Scenario #2:

The lottery runs and the student gets the following outcome:

• School A (1^st choice): Not Selected - Student is placed in lottery for School B.  
• School B (2^nd Choice): Not Selected - Student is placed in lottery for School C.
• School C (3^rd Choice): Selected – A seat is offered to the student to attend School C.

The parent/student can accept the seat at School C, or they can decline the seat and request to be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for either School A or School B.

Scenario #3:

The lottery runs and the student gets the following outcome:

• School A (1^st choice): Not Selected – Student is placed in lottery for School B.
• School B (2^nd Choice): Not Selected - Student is placed in lottery for School C.
• School C (3^rd Choice): Not Selected - Student is placed on the waitlist for School A.

The student was not selected for any of their options and is Waitlisted for School A only.  If parent wants to be added to waitlists for School B and/or C, they must contact our office at 432-456-8890.

Parents who submit an application to Austin, Cameron, GP Alamo, Hays, Milam, Reagan, and STEM Academy must complete additional requirements prior to your student being ‘eligible’ for their campus lottery.

Please see the "Enrollment Requirements" section of each school's Choice website to see what is required.

Orientation information can be found on the application or by clicking Upcoming Events at the top-left of this page.

2022-23 Choice School Application

Application opens December 1st and will close on January 15th.  After the lottery in February, the application will re-open March 15th to accept late applications.

Student Admissions

910 N Lee Ave

Odessa, TX 79761

432.456.8890

Choice School Timeline

Ector College Prep is a choice middle school in ECISD.  Applicants to Ector College Prep complete the standard ECISD Choice Application (the same application as elementary students).

Eligible applicants to Ector College Prep are accepted on a first come, first served basis.  At this time, there is no lottery for middle school seats.

For questions about the Ector College Prep instructional program, please contact the campus directly. For questions regarding the application process, please contact Student Admissions at 432-456-8890.

Choice School Application

Application opens December 1st and will close on January 15th.  After the lottery in February, the application will re-open March 15th to accept late applications.

Choice School Timeline

New Tech Odessa, Odessa Collegiate Academy, and OCTECHS are Choice high schools.  Their application process differs from our Choice elementary and middle schools. 

What you should know:

1. Choice high schools accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Choice high schools have their own application available on their campus webpage.
3. You can submit an application to each of the high school programs and if accepted to more than one program, you and your child can decide which program best fits your child’s interest.

For questions regarding each school's unique programs, please contact the campus directly. For questions regarding the application process, please contact the campus or Student Admissions at 432-456-8890.

The Choice Applications for New Tech Odessa, OCTECHS, & Odessa Collegiate Academy are located on their respective webpages.  Click on the school you are interested in attending to be redirected to their page.  Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.