School of choice? Open enrollment? Which is which? The two terms are often interchanged, but are actually very different programs.
‘School of choice? is a statewide program for public schools that allows students from outside participating districts to enroll in another participating district’s schools. If Clarkston Schools participated in ‘school of choice,? students living outside the district’s boundary lines could still apply for enrollment.
‘According to state law, school boards have to vote on that every year by June 30,? said Anita Banach, director of communications and marketing. ‘Since that law went into place, Clarkston Schools has not participated in school of choice.?
Banach said the district’s reason for not participating is mainly because the district is growing so much without taking in students from outside the district.
‘Open enrollment,? though often confused with school of choice, is not the same thing. Open enrollment gives students within the district the option to enroll at a different school within the district, space permitting.
Banach said open enrollment has been part of the Clarkston District for a long time and was not eliminated. However, the program was adjusted slightly during redistricting.
Under normal circumstances, all students enrolled were given the same priority and were moved when space was available. However, this year’s form was altered slightly to include three checkboxes that divided applicants into three categories: a) students moved because of the redistricting process, b) those that have enrolled in the program during the previous year and c) first time enrollees and staff.
Banach said the decision to adjust open enrollment was based largely on feedback from parents during redistricting.
‘Through that time there was a substantial amount of feedback that said if this plan goes into place, meaning the redistricting plans, please relook at open enrollment/schools of choice and allow those of us that are being forced to move to have first dibs on any openings in our home school.? said Banach. ‘We listened and we said’for the 05-06 school year, that makes sense.?
This meant starting from a clean slate, and therefore those who were previously enrolled in the program and weren’t affected by redistricting plans would have to reapply for open enrollment and be given second priority, said Banach.
‘We didn’t want to get in the business of deciding whose reasons were more important than somebody else’s. We simply agreed with those that were being redistricted that it wasn’t their choice to be redistricted,? said Banach. ‘We as a district were imposing this change on them so we should give them’the first opportunity to be able to stay if space is available and they so choose to want to do that.?
Banach said state law allows school employees who live outside district boundaries to enroll their children within the district, but not choose the school. In order to choose the school, staff members still have to apply for open enrollment as well.
The adjusted, prioritized program required a lottery over the summer. Applicants were assigned numbers at random to fill any open spots that may be available in a given grade. The student assigned the number one was the first to fill an opening, and the rest followed in sequence. Those affected by redistricting were assigned numbers first.
Banach said the adjustments in the program were temporary for the current school year only, and that next year the program will run as before, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
According to Banach, the district received just over a hundred applications for open enrollment and 63 students are participating in open enrollment during the current school year.