Skip to main content

Acero Schools

Apply to an Acero Elementary School

If you are interested in applying to an Acero high school please, click here.

Applications for the 2023-24 school year are now open! See below for details on applying.

Make sure to sign up for our email list for the most up-to-date enrollment information.

 

 

Click here to review our full Lottery Policy

Click here to read the full Early Kindergarten Policy

 

Find answers below to "Elementary School Application– FAQs"

Applications can be completed online, on paper on in-school. For all applications, rank your school selection with #1 being your highest preference; at least one school must be selected. Only one application should be submitted per family.

 

Click the link below to begin your online application for the 2023-24 school year.

 

Acero Schools 2023-24 Application

* Please make sure you are selecting the correct school year: 2023-24

 

Note: Please click on the link at the top of the page to change the application language to Spanish.

Image of SchoolMint application demonstrating where to drop down menu to select a Spanish language application

 

If you prefer to submit a paper application, please download it below, print and submit to your nearest Acero school. Fill out the application in blue or black ink.

 

ENGLISH 2023-24 Application

ESPANOL 2023-4 Application

 

Use the links below to download a printable, plain-text version of the elementary school application for visually impaired users.

 

Plain Text ENGLISH 2023-24 Elementary Application

Plain Text ESPANOL 2023-24 Elementary  Application

 

You may also visit your nearest Acero school to complete the application process. Please call ahead to your preferred school to set up an application appointment with social distancing and sanitization guidelines in practice. Click here for a directory of school addresses and phone numbers.
 
If you require further assistance with your application, please call 312-637-3900, or contact the enrollment team staff member of your preferred school:
 
Acero Campus Enrollment Staff Member Cell Phone Number
Brighton Park, Marquez, Santiago, Tamayo Araceli Lara 312.515.4192
Casas, Torres, Zizumbo Maria "Lupe" Orozco 312.350.9765
Cruz K-8 Elizabeth Pulido 312.342.4657
Fuentes, Idar, Paz Cintia Cruz 312.307.7698
Cruz 9-12, Garcia, Soto Ivette Esparza 312.282.5231
Clemente, Cisneros Jesse Simental 312.480.7083

Applicants must reside in the City of Chicago. Applicants applying for kindergarten for the 2022-23 school year must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2022.

Acero Schools has adopted an early kindergarten enrollment policy. To qualify, the child must turn five (5) years old between September 2 and December 31 of the year in which they wish to enroll and score in the ninetieth (90th) percentile on the Speed DIAL-4 screener administered and scored by Acero Schools school psychologists. (The Speed DIAL-4 screener will be administered in English or Spanish, depending on the child’s home language.)

Early Kinder applications for the 2023-24 school year must be completed by July 25, 2023.

Click here to read the full Early Kindergarten Policy.

Acero Schools hosts an annual lottery to determine enrollment for grades K-8 for the upcoming school year. During the K-8 lottery, applicants are chosen at random for all available K- 8 seats. The lottery date for the 2023-24 school year is March 8, 2023.

 

Online applications must be completed by 11:59 p.m. and paper applications marked received by 3:00 p.m. on February 24, 2023, to be included in the lottery.

 

All applications received after the deadline will be placed into open seats or waitlist positions on a first-come, first-served basis through the start of the 2023-24 school year.

 

Families who applied before the lottery deadline will receive detailed communications via email, text and US mail concerning the status of their application and next steps regarding registration and/or their waitlist status beginning the week of March 27, 2023.

 

Applicants are given priority, if applicable, in the following order: if they have siblings enrolled at the school, were previously enrolled at an Acero school, or meet neighborhood boundary requirements if applicable (specific to applicants for Clemente, Fuentes and Tamayo).

 

Click here to review our full Lottery Policy

Applicants who apply before the lottery deadline will receive detailed communications via email, text and US mail concerning the status of their application and next steps regarding registration and/or their waitlist status beginning the week of March 27, 2023. All offers sent at this time must be accepted by April 7, 2023, or they will expire and the seat will be offered to the next applicant on the waitlist.


If a seat becomes available and your child is next on the waitlist, you will receive a phone call, text or email requesting that you accept or decline the seat within 48 hours. Applicants who fail to accept or decline within 48 hours will be moved to the end of the waitlist.

Congratulations! Please be sure to accept your offer. You will shortly thereafter receive information about registration and other required information. You will be required to complete student registration by a date that will be provided to you.

 

Offers from the 2023-24 school year lottery must be accepted by April 7, 2023.

Please call your school of choice for appointment availability.

We strongly encourage you to explore the school you are interested in via their website. Click here for a directory of links, videos and social media channels for each of our schools.

We encourage you to explore school websites, Facebook pages, and informational Youtube videos. Click here for a directory of links.

You may reach Acero Schools Central Office at (312) 637-3900 or your contact preferred schools' enrollment staff member:

 
Acero Campus Enrollment Staff Member Cell Phone Number
Brighton Park, Marquez, Santiago, Tamayo Araceli Lara 312.515.4192
Casas, Torres, Zizumbo Maria "Lupe" Orozco 312.350.9765
Cruz K-8 Elizabeth Pulido 312.342.4657
Cisneros, Clemente Jesse Simental 312.480.7083
Fuentes, Idar, Paz Cintia Cruz 312.307.7698
Cruz 9-12, Garcia, Soto Ivette Esparza 312.282.5231