New K-8 Admissions

Please click on each tab below to view all Admissions Information.

Two Rounds of Open Enrollment

For students to be eligible for an offer, parents/guardians should complete Open Enrollment. Each year, Open Enrollment is conducted in two rounds. The information below will help you navigate the process.

First Round: November 3 – December 1, 2025

The first round of Open Enrollment opens at 8:00 a.m. on November 3, 2025, and closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 1, 2025.

All students open enrolled during this period are randomly sorted on their respective grade-level lists.
Students with a priority status will earn priority placement only if they are open enrolled during the first round.
Tip: School registrars cannot see Open Enrollment applications until after the First Round closes. After completing Open Enrollment, you will receive an email confirmation with the school selection(s). Keep this email.

Important Note about Tours: To help you make the most informed decision for your child, we strongly recommend parents attend a school tour before offers are extended. Tour spaces and dates are limited and are scheduled independently from the offer timeline.

First-Round Offers and Next Steps

You can log in to the EngagED Parent Portal to check for offers starting at 8:00 a.m. on December 10, 2025.
The deadline to accept an offer is 4:00 p.m. on December 17, 2025.
The Portal will close on December 17, 2025 and will not re-open until January 22, 2026.
For new students and those returning to the district after a previous withdrawal, accepting an offer is the first step. Parents/Guardians must complete the admissions process. Look for a separate email with instructions and the deadline for completing the admissions process.
Locate the Required Admissions Paperwork in advance of an offer, as some items might not be readily at-hand. You will need to upload this paperwork as part of the admissions process.
If you do not complete the admissions process by the specified deadline, or it is incomplete/missing required items, the offer will be withdrawn.
In January, after Winter Break, and through the final day of Open Enrollment in August, our Director of Admissions may extend new offers to students on the waitlist as spots become available.
- All offers made from January forward will be sent via email only.
- Parents have 24-36 hours to reply to an offer.

Waitlist Status: For general, non-priority waitlist status inquiries, please email BFAs Director of Admissions/Registrar no earlier than the third full week of January.

Second Round: January 22 – August 3, 2026

If you were unable to complete Open Enrollment during the first round, you can do so during the second. Second-round submissions are added to the bottom of the existing waitlists in the order they are received.

Tip: After completing Open Enrollment, you will receive an email confirmation with the school selection(s). Keep this email.

Second-Round Offers and Next Steps

All offers made from January forward will be sent via email only.
Parents have 24-36 hours to reply to an offer.
Accepting an offer is the first step. For new students and those returning to the district after a previous withdrawal, parents/guardians must complete the admissions process. Look for a separate email with instructions and the deadline for completing the admissions process.
Locate the Required Admissions Paperwork in advance of an offer, as some items might not be readily at-hand. You will need to upload this paperwork as part of the admissions process.
If you do not complete the admissions process by the specified deadline, or it is incomplete/missing required items, the offer will be withdrawn.

Waitlist Status: For general, non-priority waitlist status inquiries, please email BFAs Director of Admissions/Registrar.

Douglas County School District Nondiscrimination Notice: The Douglas County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, age, marital status, genetic information, or physical characteristics, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment of, or employment in educational programs or activities. Ben Franklin Academy's Compliance Officer is Diana Simpson, Principal, 2270 Plaza Dr., Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129, dsimpson@bfacademy.org, 720.383.4519. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees and members of the public.

Douglas County School District (DCSD) Open Enrollment

Ben Franklin Academy (BFA) participates in the annual DCSD Open Enrollment (OE) process to fill available kindergarten through 8th-grade spots. To be eligible for an offer, you must complete the Open Enrollment process for your child. Please note that previous year’s waitlists do not roll forward.

Questions?

For the most up-to-date information and questions about the process, please review the FAQs on the DCSD Open Enrollment page.
For information and answers related to BFA admissions, select K-8 Admissions FAQ from the Admissions/Records menu.
If your question is not answered in either of those resources, email BFAs Director of Admissions/Registrar.

How Open Enrollment Works

Creating/Accessing Your Parent Portal Account

If you are new to DCSD (have never had a child enrolled at a DCSD school, including any charters):

You can create a DCSD Parent Portal account only during an active Open Enrollment window.
Important: You will be unable to create an account during the closure period between First and Second round of Open Enrollment.

If you are a current or past DCSD family:

You already have a Parent Portal account (even if you’ve never activated it).
Do not create a new account on the Open Enrollment site, as this could void your child’s application(s).

Portal Account Issues

Forgot Portal username? Go here. Provide your personal email address to retrieve your username.
Forgot Portal password? With your username, reset password here.
Need to activate your Portal account? Contact DCSD Choice Programming.

Required Registration Documents: Gather These Documents In Advance of an Open Enrollment Admissions Offer!

If your child receives and you accept a BFA Open Enrollment admissions offer, you will need to complete the registration process within 5-7 days. Be prepared! Some of the required documents might not be right at-hand. Locate them in advance of an admissions offer, saved in PDF or JPEG format:

Required Documents to Upload via Online Registration:

Parent/Guardian Government Issued ID (e.g. Drivers License)
Student(s) Government Issued Birth Certificate
Student(s) Immunization Records (Colorado Law/CDPHE website)
Student Learning Plans (IEP, 504, ALP, etc.) if applicable
Proof of Residency (ONE from list below)
- Signed Lease Agreement, including tenant names, address, lease term dates and signature of both the Lessee and Lessor
- Signed Purchase Agreement, including address, buyer names and signature of both the Buyer and Seller
- Warranty Deed, Property Tax Notice, or County Assessor’s Page
- Notarized Proof of Residency Form – Used if your family currently lives with another family member or friend and, therefore, the POR does not have your name on it. With this option you must (1) provide a copy of the family member or friend’s POR and (2) the completed and notarized Notarized Proof of Residency Form.