The Department of Secondary Education provides supervision of middle school and high school principals as well as general support for secondary programs. The department also helps with policies and procedures pertaining to the secondary level of education as well as provides oversight for Athletics and Career Technical Education.
Department staff provide guidance for parents and assist with questions about middle school and high school program opportunities. The Olympia School District has 4 neighborhood middle schools and 4 high schools dedicated to serving students in our community.
Executive Director of Secondary Education
James Whitehead
[email protected]
(360) 596- 6109
Executive Assistant
Lisa Morrison
[email protected]
(360) 596- 8545
Middle School Choice Program
Thank you for your interest in our Olympia School District middle school choice programs. This document includes important information about the lottery for enrollment in JAMS (Jefferson Accelerated Math and Science program) at Jefferson Middle School and CSI(Citizen Science Institute) at Thurgood Marshall Middle School.
For more information on JAMS, visit this page.
For more information on CSI, visit this page.
Lottery Process for Enrollment
Parents/guardians will fill in an application for each program they are interested in. Choice school lottery processes will be conducted at each school site. Lottery numbers will be assigned using a random number generator and families will be assigned a unique lottery number. The children of full-time district employees who reside in or outside of the district boundary are eligible for enrollment at the school per RCW 28A.225.225 and are eligible to enter the choice school lottery for CSI or JAMS.
We encourage you to attend an information meeting to learn more about the programs. If you have questions we encourage you to contact the school.
Applications are online and at the schools.
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Once a child is accepted in the program, there is no need to apply each year.
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One lottery application form is needed for each child for each program.
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A waitlist will be created at the school and openings will be offered if additional spots become available. The waitlist will be in place through the 2024-25 school year only.
The choice program lottery pool numbers will be assigned in the order outlined below according to the protocol for each program:
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Within-district students
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Out-of-district students
Middle School Choice Program informational meetings and application acceptance dates for 2025-26 school year will be announced in the spring. If you have any questions please contact your school office staff.
Secondary Education Resources and Information