How to enroll in Santa Barbara high schools

Find your zoned school

SBUSD assigns each address a 'school of residence' based on the parent/guardian's residential address. Confirm your zoned high school using the district's School & District Boundary Maps plus the 'Attendance Area by Street Address' (Street Address Listing by Attendance Area) at https://www.sbunified.org/schools1/school-district-boundary-maps. The Aeries Online Enrollment system also auto-determines the school of residence from the home address during enrollment. Printed boundary maps are available at, or can be mailed from, the Student & Family Services Office, 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, (805) 963-4338. (SBUSD, sbunified.org, 2026)

Attendance areas

SBUSD operates a neighborhood-school model in which each residential address is assigned a single high school 'of residence' — generally Santa Barbara High for central/eastern Santa Barbara, San Marcos High for the western city and Hollister-corridor/Goleta edge, and Dos Pueblos High for Goleta and the far west. Boundaries are defined street-by-street, so families should confirm their exact assignment via the district's address locator rather than rely on general descriptions. (SBUSD, sbunified.org, 2026)

Santa Barbara High School

Approximate: serves central and eastern Santa Barbara — the downtown/Eastside core and adjacent areas of the City of Santa Barbara closest to its campus at 700 E. Anapamu Street (Lower Eastside). Exact boundaries are set street-by-street by SBUSD and are approximate here; confirm your school of residence via the district's address/attendance-area locator (SBUSD School & District Boundary Maps, sbunified.org, 2026).

San Marcos High School

Approximate: serves the western part of the City of Santa Barbara and the Goleta-edge area along the Hollister Avenue corridor, anchored at its campus at 4750 Hollister Avenue (suburban area between Santa Barbara and Goleta). Exact boundaries are set street-by-street by SBUSD and are approximate here; confirm your school of residence via the district's address/attendance-area locator (SBUSD School & District Boundary Maps, sbunified.org, 2026).

Dos Pueblos High School

Approximate: serves Goleta and the far west of the SBUSD high-school zone, anchored at its campus at 7266 Alameda Avenue, Goleta (El Encanto Heights area, ~10 miles northwest of downtown Santa Barbara). Exact boundaries are set street-by-street by SBUSD and are approximate here; confirm your school of residence via the district's address/attendance-area locator (SBUSD School & District Boundary Maps, sbunified.org, 2026).

Boundaries are approximate and defined street-by-street. Confirm your exact assignment with the district’s address locator before you rely on a general description.

How to register

New-to-district students enroll online via the Aeries Online Enrollment portal at https://sbunified.aeries.net/enrollment/ (or in person at the school of residence). The system automatically assigns the school of residence from the home address; multiple new students can be enrolled in one session. Documents required: (1) birth verification (certified birth certificate, baptism certificate, passport, or parental affidavit); (2) immunization records (including Tdap booster for new 7th graders); and (3) proof of address (e.g., property tax receipt, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, pay stub, voter registration, or government correspondence). Returning students complete an annual online registration each year via the Aeries Parent Portal 'Data Confirmation' process before the school year. New incoming high schoolers from private schools or out-of-district: enrollment forms are accepted starting in December — request them from Student & Family Services. Questions: Student & Family Services, (805) 963-4338, ext. 6208/6276/6278 (English and Spanish). (SBUSD Enrollment & Registration, sbunified.org, 2026)

Open enrollment / transfers

Yes — SBUSD values neighborhood schools but permits open enrollment within the district as space/resources allow. To attend a school other than your school of residence (or to access a pathway/academy/program of choice not offered at your zoned school), submit an Intra-District Transfer (Open Enrollment) application, governed by Board Policy BP 5116.1 and AR 5116.1. For the 2026-27 cycle the on-time application window ran approximately December 1, 2025 through the deadline of January 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; applications after the deadline are 'late' and reviewed on space availability in the order received; those received after July 1 are reviewed only for 2nd Semester/Term 3. Apply via the district's online form or paper application (available at any school or the Student & Family Services office, 720 Santa Barbara Street). (SBUSD School Transfers, sbunified.org, 2026-27 cycle)

Families living OUTSIDE SBUSD boundaries who want to attend an SBUSD school must first apply through their home district of residence for an inter-district transfer/release; SBUSD then evaluates the incoming request under criteria in AR 5117 (updated 10/10/23). Contact Student & Family Services, (805) 963-4338, ext. 6208/6278. (SBUSD School Transfers, sbunified.org, 2026)

Key dates

2026-27 cycle (cadence repeats annually): Intra-district transfer / open-enrollment on-time window ~December 1 to January 16 (deadline January 16, 2026, 5:00 p.m.); late transfers reviewed by space and order received; transfers received after July 1 reviewed only for 2nd Semester/Term 3. New high school enrollment forms for incoming students from private schools or out-of-district begin being accepted in December. Annual online re-registration (Aeries Data Confirmation) occurs before the start of each school year. Exact dates vary by year — verify the current cycle on sbunified.org. (SBUSD, sbunified.org, 2026-27)