No Ponte Vedra Beach school has a transfer seat in St. Johns County's open enrollment window, which closes Nov. 13. Only five St. Augustine elementary schools have room.
Families in Ponte Vedra Beach cannot use the St. Johns County School District’s first open enrollment window of the year to move a child to another nearby school. Every middle school, K-8 school and high school in the county is full. Only five elementary schools have seats, and all five are in St. Augustine, about 24 miles south.
The district opened the window Monday. Applications close Friday, Nov. 13. The district announced the window on Nov. 2.
Which schools have seats
The School Board approved the list of schools with open seats on Oct. 13. The district posted its updated seat counts Oct. 14 on its Controlled Open Enrollment page. That page says: “All St. Johns County middle schools, K-8 schools, and high schools are currently operating at full capacity and are therefore excluded from this application window.”
The five elementary schools offer 177 seats in all:
| School | Address | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W. D. Hartley Elementary | 260 Cacique Drive, St. Augustine | 4 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 66 |
| James A. Webster Elementary | 420 N. Orange St., St. Augustine | 1 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 35 |
| Wards Creek Elementary | 6555 State Road 16, St. Augustine | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 33 |
| Ketterlinus Elementary | 67 Orange St., St. Augustine | 2 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 28 |
| Osceola Elementary | 1605 Osceola Elementary School Road, St. Augustine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 15 |
Seat counts are from the district’s page. The addresses are from each school’s own website. Fourth grade has the most room, with 68 seats across the five schools. Third grade has the least, with 16 seats, all at Hartley.
None of the schools that serve Ponte Vedra Beach and Palm Valley is on the list. That includes Ocean Palms Elementary, PVPV-Rawlings Elementary, Palm Valley Academy, Alice B. Landrum Middle, Ponte Vedra High and Allen D. Nease High. Our guide to Ponte Vedra Beach public schools lists every school and its zone.
How the lottery works
Controlled open enrollment is a statewide school choice program. It lets a family apply to a public school outside its assigned attendance zone when that school has room. The district’s page sets out the rules:
- One application covers a child, however many schools the family picks.
- After the deadline, the district draws a numbered lottery. St. Johns County residents are drawn first. Out-of-county families get seats only if any are left.
- Military families, foster placements, court-ordered custody moves and siblings can get preference under state law.
- The district does not provide buses. Families must get their children to the school.
- A family must accept an offered seat within 10 working days of the district’s email.
- There is no appeal.
A child who wins a seat can stay at that school until its highest grade. Students facing expulsion or suspension, or with poor attendance or repeated behavior problems, are not considered.
Key dates
- Nov. 2-13: window 1 applications
- Nov. 16 to Dec. 4: lottery and notification
- Jan. 5, 2027: students start at their new school
- Feb. 1-12, 2027: window 2 applications; new students start March 22
- March 29 to April 9, 2027: window 3 applications; new students start Aug. 10, 2027
What it means for you
If you hoped to move your child to a different Ponte Vedra school this school year, this window will not help. No school near Ponte Vedra Beach has a seat.
If one of the five St. Augustine schools works for your family, apply by Friday, Nov. 13, through the district’s application page. Plan for the daily drive, since there is no district bus. The district says eligible families can apply for a state transportation scholarship, one per household.
Children now in VPK or pre-K cannot apply in this window. They can apply for a kindergarten seat in window 3, the district says.
The application does not cover academy or program transfers, gifted, special program, hardship requests or address changes. Questions go to the district’s School Counseling, Choice and Enrollment office at 904-547-7754.
For report cards, calendars and zones, see our Ponte Vedra Beach schools guide.
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