Open enrollment for choice schools starts Saturday
BROOKSVILLE – School choice open enrollment applications for the 2014-15 school year will be accepted for 12 schools beginning this Saturday, according to the school district.
School choice is an opportunity for parents to request their child attend a school out of their zone beginning in August, and specifically includes the Controlled Parental Choice, Career Academies, International Baccalaureate, and Thematic programs.
Applications must be completed online, and the link for that application will become available at www.hernandoschools.org at 8 a.m. on Saturday, according to the district.
Applications will be accepted until March 1 and those submitted afterward will only be considered with a documented hardship, or other eligible situation.
Parents also have the right to appeal a denial, and can request a review before the hardship committee based upon a documented hardship.
The district says parents without access to a computer or the internet can go their nearest school, public library, or the district office for help.
Only 12 of 23 listed choice elementary, middle, and high schools are accepting general applications for the 2014-15 school year.
Those schools are Central High, Hernando High, Parrot Middle, Fox Chapel Middle, J.D. Floyd Environmental Center (grades 6-8), Powell Middle, West Hernando Middle, Deltona Elementary, Eastside Elementary, Moton Elementary, Pine Grove Elementary, and Spring Hill Elementary.
Applications are required for initial entry to a school other than the one a student is zoned for.
Applications are also required in the event of boundary changes affecting school zones, changes in home address that place a student in another school zone, severe overcrowding with no alternatives for relief, if a parent requests their child attend a school in another county, or if a parent outside of Hernando County wishes their child to attend school here.
Parents with children already attending a school outside of his or her zone do not need to complete another application for the 2014-15 school year already with an approved school choice school, according to Director of Student Services, Mary Grace-Surrena.
Parents will be notified in March on the status of their application, according to the district, either through email addresses or phone numbers parents provide on the application.
For the most part, parents are responsible for providing transportation to students approved to attend a school other than the one they are zoned for, according to the district.
However, limited transportation is available for Exceptional Education students or students accepted into the Magnet program.
The district is asking parents to review guidelines and retain a copy of their records before completing the online application.
Any additional questions not covered under the guidelines can be submitted via email to [email protected].
JavaScript is needed in order to view email responses, which the district says will be prompt.
