Fundamental Schools: Hollow Hills & Vista Elementary Schools

The School of Choice program found HERE allows families to enroll at any of our schools (except for Arroyo Elementary School's Dual Language Academy, Hollow Hills Elementary School, Santa Susana High School and Vista Elementary School) through School of Choice as long as there is space available. 

California law for Kindergarten enrollment states that a child must be five-years-old by September 1, 2024. The SVUSD offers Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs for qualifying students under the age requirements. More information about Transitional Kindergarten can be found HERE.

Two of Simi Valley Unified School District's 18 elementary schools (Hollow Hills Elementary and Vista Elementary) in the SVUSD are designated as Fundamental schools.

Our Fundamental schools provide equal access to all elementary students (grades Kindergarten to 5th) of the District regardless of neighborhood boundaries. These are NOT neighborhood schools and they are not included in the School of Choice program.

The Fundamental schools are unique because families choose to enroll their students on these campuses based on the schools' areas of focus, programs and expectations, as established at each Fundamental school. Both Fundamental schools teach the same California State Standards as our other elementary schools, and use the same classroom materials and curriculum designated by SVUSD for all elementary schools.

Fundamental schools are not the only path to educational excellence in the SVUSD. Students excel at all of our elementary schools. No district transportation is provided to the Fundamental schools and some parents find that the daily commute to and from the school is not manageable for their family. Families are urged to consider these factors when considering if a Fundamental School is a good choice for their children.

Before submitting an application for the 2024-2025 school year, parents should do ONE of these two things. Please go to each school’s website to find specific information on the school school’s events:

1. Attend an in-person school tour at one of the two Fundamental Schools.

2. Attend one of the two Information Nights.

• Vista Elementary School: January 11, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom

• Hollow Hills Elementary School: January 17, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. in-person

Hollow Hills Elementary School and Vista Elementary School will hold their lotteries for Kindergarten enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year on January 22, 2024. Applications are available from January 8 to January 19, 2024. Only students who live in the Simi Valley Unified School District are eligible for this lottery. Interested families need to decide on ONE Fundamental School and then submit ONE application to that school’s office. Families may participate in only ONE Fundamental School lottery. We will not honor dual requests or accept transfers between the schools. Please check the schools' websites for application information. Parents/Guardians will be required to come to the school office to pick up forms. They are not available online or by fax.

Classes are staffed according to SVUSD's student-teacher ratios. Numbered postcards will be mailed to all applicants the week of January 22. Results will not be given over the telephone. Students who accept a spot in a Fundamental School and enroll in that school may not return to their home school during that school year; in other words, they commit to finishing that school year at the Fundamental School they have chosen and enrolled in.

If you are not selected in the Fundamental School lottery, applicants will be placed on the Fundamental School waiting list, in the order of the lottery selection. Parents may also apply to another school through the School of Choice program during the open enrollment period

If a student is not selected through the lottery process, he/she will be placed on a waiting list for potential future openings. There is no obligation to remain on the waiting list. Every January, a notification is sent to the families of any student still on the waiting list. (This will happen at each grade level.) The notification will ask if you wish your child to remain on the waiting list or to be removed.