Board Resolution Brings Families Choice of School Calendar
January 21, 2010 - Parents will have a choice in the calendar of the school their child will attend for 2010-11.At its Jan. 19 meeting, the Board of Education gave final approval to a resolution regarding calendar choices.
Resolution Regarding Calendar Choices We strongly oppose the mandatory assignments of student to year-round calendar schools and support calendar choice for all families. Beginning with the 2010-11 school year, every effort will be made to eliminate mandatory year-round assignments and to accommodate families into the calendar of their choice. This applies to year-round or traditional options at a school within proximity of their residence. We will no longer deny calendar applications based on socio-economic status, we will use each and every seat efficiently. -approved by Board of Education, Jan. 19, 2010 |
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During the board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Chuck Dulaney presented information on the school system’s proposal for implementing this new policy.
The proposal includes:
- A one-page flyer announcing the application process that will be sent home with all current students during the week of Feb. 1.
- The primary process for placing families in the calendar of their choice will be the annual Magnet and Calendar Choice application process planned for Feb. 8 - 28.
- Only applications for Calendar Choice schools submitted during the February application period or within ten days of receiving a new school assignment following a change in domicile will be considered for approval. Every effort will be made to accommodate families into the calendar of their choice.
- Families who are placed in a Calendar Choice school through application will be offered an opportunity to decline that placement.
- Requests to change calendar once a student has begun the school year on a calendar will not be approved unless the transfer request is based upon extraordinary or unusual reasons.
- Crowding that occurs prior to the start of the school year will not impact the placement of students in the calendar choice of families. If applications are received during the appropriate time periods, all requests will be approved unless special education requirements cannot be met at the requested school.
- After the school year begins, the proposal describes maximum crowding of any school that will be allowed as efforts are made to accommodate families into the calendar of their choice.
- When families move into Wake County or into a new domicile in Wake County after the February application period, they will be given the opportunity to apply for a Calendar Choice school and the application will be processed in the same manner as those applications received during the February application period.
- Bus transportation will be provided to all Calendar Choice schools for students who are placed through the application process.
- The five Modified Calendar schools will be treated as single-track year-round schools and families assigned to the modified calendar schools will be able to apply for placement in a traditional calendar school.
- Changes are being recommended in some Calendar Choice school designations which are available to families by application in order to balance anticipated requests with available space in schools and avoid overcrowding when calendar requests are approved.
With the proposed calendar application node changes, four elementary schools will become application schools for the first time. The new Alston Ridge Elementary, as well as Highcroft Elementary, Middle Creek Elementary and Riverbend Elementary will become the year-round choice schools for families who have base assignment at four traditional schools.
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