High School Registration now open at Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - While students are beginning to think about their summer vacation plans, parents might want to start thinking ahead to what comes next.

Officials at Santa Maria Joint Union High School District say some families become confused between them and Santa Maria Bonita District, which handles kindergarten through 8th grade.

When transitioning from elementary to junior high, registration rolls over at Santa Maria Bonita.

But parents need to register their kids when they get to high school age, because they're joining a new school district.

“Many of our eighth graders who are getting ready, and looking forward to high school. They need to understand that being a part of either Ernest Righetti or Santa Maria or Pioneer Valley High School, there is an enrollment process required,” says Natallie De Leija, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District’s high school readiness liaison. 

They say it's also good for parents to be preparing their kids for moves to much larger, more crowded campuses.

“The transition for many of our students from junior high to high school is a bit intimidating. So we definitely provide programs such as our freshman Jumpstart offered at each one of our high schools the first week of August,” says De Leija.

High school counselors visited junior high campuses in February, and students have chosen their preferred classes, but parents still need to do their part with registration. 

“We have seen some students show up the first day of school without being registered. And unfortunately sometimes students end up in classes they may not like. So the incentive to get your student registered on time and early for high school is so that your student can get the desired courses,” says De Leija.

There is no need to go to the district office or any campus, as registration is all conducted online--documents can simply be scanned and uploaded to the high school district's website.