During the district’s open enrollment period each year, a parent/guardian may request that his/her child attend a school within the district other than the one to which the child is zoned. Zone waiver applications must be completed on a yearly basis and are applicable to one school year only depending on school enrollment and capacity. The open enrollment process shall be completed before other nonresident transfers are approved. Once accepted, the student shall provide his/her own transportation to and from the school. The student must maintain satisfactory attendance, behavior, and effort to remain in the new school.
Murfreesboro City Schools will conduct the open enrollment period for zone waivers from February 26 – March 27, 2026. Parents or guardians of a student seeking to transfer their child to an open zoned school for the 2026-27 school year must apply within this timeline. There are two types of requests that are completed on the same form.
The open seats listed in the chart below reflects availability for new zone request only and does not apply to students on an existing zone waiver.
January 13: Board Meeting
February 10: Board approval of open/closed zone schools
February 11 – 25: Advertise Open Enrollment (two-week requirement)
Feb 26 – March 27: Open Enrollment (30-day requirement). Closes at 3:00 p.m. on March 27.
March 3 & 12: Voluntary Campus Tours for Open Zoned Schools
April 10: Notify all applicants via email. If you have applied and have not heard back from us by April 13th, please call us at (615) 225-9346.
| School | Number of Open Seats Available | Closed Grade Levels |
| Black Fox | 10 seats in 2nd grade | K, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Bradley | 50 seats in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 6 |
| Cason Lane | 40 seats in grades K, 1, 4, 5; 5 seats in 6th grade | 2, 3 |
| Erma Siegel | 20 seats in K, 5 seats in 3rd grade | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 |
| Hobgood | 25 seats in grades K, 1, 2, 5 | 3, 4, 6 |
| John Pittard | 40 seats in grades K, 2, 3; 5 seats in 6th grade | 1, 4, 5 |
| Mitchell-Neilson Elementary | 25 seats in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 6 |
| Northfield Elementary | 50 seats in grades K, 1, 3, 4, 5 | 2, 6 |
| Overall Creek Elementary | 10 seats in K, & 10 seats in 1st grade, 5 seats in 2nd grade | 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Reeves-Rogers Elementary | 50 seats in K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 6 |
| Scales Elementary | 5 seats in 2nd grade, 10 seats in 3rd grade | K, 1, 4, 5, 6 |
| Salem Elementary | 4 seats in 2nd grade, 10 seats in 3rd grade, 4 seats in 4th grade | K, 1, 5, 6 |
Before starting the waiver form, make sure to know the school your child is zoned for which can be found at the following link. (https://ewa2.edulogweb.com/murfreetn1web/webquery/)
Zone waivers will be submitted online with the link below.
Open enrollment for zone waivers will run from February 26 – March 27, 2026. (Zone waiver applications will close at 3:00 p.m. on March 27.)
The application link will reopen on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. This window will allow any student currently on a zone waiver who missed the initial deadline to submit an application. New waiver requests may also be submitted at that time; however, approval will be further limited based on enrollment capacity.
Any zone waiver application submitted after Wednesday, June 3, 2026, will receive a response no later than Friday, July 31, 2026.
To assist families in determining if a zone waiver is appropriate for their child, we encourage you to talk with your current principal, assistant principals, counselor, and/or teacher.
If you are interested in having your child apply for another school, you may want to tour the campus. Please call your school for more information.
Do I have to apply for a zone waiver every year?
Yes. Zone waiver applications must be completed on a yearly basis and are applicable to one school year only depending on school enrollment and capacity.
Do I have to complete a zone waiver for each of my children?
Yes. One application is required for each child.
Does MCS accept students who do not live within the city limits?
Out-Of-City Applications are accepted at our open-zoned schools. Approval is based on space available in the applicable grade level at the requested school. The open enrollment process shall be completed before other nonresident transfers are approved.
Does MCS accept students who live outside of Rutherford County?
Out-of-County applications are accepted at our open-zoned schools. The open enrollment process shall be completed before other nonresident transfers are approved. Approval is based on space available in the applicable grade level at the requested school. Non-refundable tuition in the amount of $4,000 per year (paid in full at the beginning of the year) is applicable if their zone waiver is approved.
Who determines the open and closed school zones?
MCS’ School Board reviews projected enrollment with district administration annually as outlined in Board Policy 6.205.
Whom shall I call regarding a zone waiver?
Zone waivers are processed by the Student Support Services Department at the MCS Central Office. Please direct questions to:
Elizabeth Emslie, Administrative Assistant
(615) 225-9346 or elizabeth.emslie@cityschools.net
Ken Rocha, Assistant Superintendent, Student Support Services
ken.rocha@cityschools.net
May I submit a zone waiver application to a closed school for my youngest child if my older children are already attending that closed zoned school?
Yes. Our goal is not to split children apart from the same household. Despite the school being a closed zone school, you must submit a zone waiver application and indicate the older sibling(s) are already on a zone waiver to that school. We will do everything possible to accept younger siblings in the household.