Students in Montgomery County are expected to attend the school within the established attendance area in which they reside (home school) or assigned in accordance with their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Students may apply for Change of School Assignment (COSA) from the home school, or the school of assignment through the IEP process, based on the following criteria.
To determine what the local school is for a specific address, call the School Boundary Information Line at 240-314-4710 between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. weekdays.
» When a sibling attends a magnet, language immersion, or other application program at the elementary level, a COSA may be approved to the regular school program for other siblings on a case-by-case basis. Such approval requires consideration of available classroom space, grade-level enrollment, staffing allocations, or other factors that impact the schools involved.
These Students Do Not have to Submit a COSA If Requesting Another School Within Their Consortium:
Please Note: By accepting a COSA, the parent or guardian must provide transportation.
The transfer process begins in the home school, where parents/guardians may request an assignment change form and the Change of School Assignment Information Booklet that describes the process and provides useful information.
Change of School Assignment (COSA) form and the information booklets will be available in schools the first week of February. Special programs that do not fall under the transfer guidelines are listed in the information booklet. Every effort will be made to notify parents/guardians of the assignment decision in May 27, 2022. Special education COSA requests for students receiving 15 or more hours of special education services will be decided after July 1.
Montgomery County parents/guardians who wish to request a change in school assignment for their children from their home school may begin the process during transfer season, which is held from the first school day in February 2022 to the first school day in April 2022.
For information about the Northeast Consortium, Downcounty Consortium or Middle School Magnet Consortium, contact the Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services (DCCAPS):
Change of School Assignment Information Booklet (919K PDF) includes Form 335-45, Request for a Student Transfer from the Home School
Folleto de información sobre el cambio de escuela asignada (1M PDF) incluye Formulario 335-45, Solicitud de cambio de asignación de escuela
Parents can contact the principal of their home school. Principal names and school telephone numbers are in the Schoolodex.
Questions regarding your COSA status Office Number 240-740-5620
Questions regarding denied COSA applications: contact the Appeals and Transfers Office - 240-740-4130
International students and parents who require assistance should call 301-309-MCPS (6277).
Telephone operators who speak English and Spanish are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Parents who speak languages other than English or Spanish can also call 301-309-MCPS (6277) and identify their language. Their questions will be answered through a telephone interpreter.