How to Apply for Choice Seats for 2025-26

Application available November 18, 2024 - January 31, 2025

 

Watch the links below for a step by step video on how to apply for School Choice.

 

Current Hamilton County Schools Students 

Apply with your existing Parent Portal account: 

If your child is in K-12th grade and currently enrolled in a Hamilton County School, use your Parent Portal account to complete the choice application.  

  • Log into your parent portal account: https://powerschool.hcde.org/public/. If your account is for more than one student, all names will show across the top.
  • Click on a child’s name to apply for the choice lottery for them.
  • Click on the Choice Lottery Application 2025-26  link in the Navigation list.

To submit a choice lottery application for another child, repeat the above process.

Reset your username and/or password for Parent Portal 

  • For the Parent Portal, select Forgot Username or Password on the login page. Two tabs will appear: Forgot Password and Forgot Username.
  • On the Forgot Password tab, the parent guardian must provide the username and email address used to set up the parent account.
  • On the Forgot Username tab, the parent must provide the email address used when the parent account was set up.
  • If you do not know the email address associated with the Parent Portal account, please contact your child's school for your account reset.  If you cannot reach your school, email [email protected]

Creating a Parent Portal Account: 

  • Visit https://powerschool.hcde.org/public/ and select Create Account and complete the fields. The password must be at least 6 characters; letters and numbers only; no special characters.
  • You must then link your student(s) to this new account.  Enter the student’s name, Access ID, and Password (provided on the document from your student’s school).
  • Select your relationship to the student from the drop-down menu and add any additional students. Click Enter to finish creating your account. NOTE: If you do not have the letter for additional students at this time, you can add them later.
  • This will bring you to the portal sign-in page. Enter the username and password you chose when you created the account.
Q: Can families add new students or do they need to create a new student account outside of Parent Portal?  
A: If a student is new to the district, the applicant should use the New Student Application – this includes inactive students. If a student left the district to home school or moved out of state, the parent portal account will not be active. 
If the siblings are current Hamilton County Schools students, one parent account can manage all sibling accounts. An application (from within the Parent Portal) would need to fill out for each student.

New Students to Hamilton County Schools

Creating an account to apply without Parent Portal 

  • New to Hamilton County Schools? Use the  New to HCS link.
  • Select the Create Account link and follow the prompts. Use username and password to access your PowerSchool Dashboard.
  • Select Lottery Application 2025-26 under Start New Form.
  • Add student with First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth to begin the application.
  • For the Verification page, answer no to the first question: “Is this student currently enrolled in Hamilton County School District?”
  • Complete the application and submit it.