School Choice
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Students
Policy
8013!
Policy Statement
The Board recognizes that a parent residing within Delaware may
seek enrollment for his/her child in a public school in any district
independent of the student’s area of residence. It is the policy of the
Board that the criteria and processes for school choice follow the
guidelines provided in this policy.
Eligibility for Choice Enrollment
The following students must submit a choice application through the
choice enrollment process:
1. Any student who wishes to choose a school and/or program other
than his/her regularly assigned attendance zone school and/or
program.
2. Any student who is assigned through the special permission
process described in this policy.
Choice applications will be accepted only for students who are
currently registered in their attendance zone school or choice school.
Students who are not already registered in a Delaware public school
(e.g., students coming from private, parochial, and vocational
schools), and students coming from charter schools, must register in
their school of residence prior to submitting a choice application.
Students residing in the Lewis Dual Language Elementary School
attendance zone who opt not to attend a Dual Language Program or
students who do not meet program requirements in grades 2-5 will be
assigned to Shortlidge Elementary School for grades K-2 or Warner
Elementary School for grades 3-5 or they may file a choice
application to attend another elementary school.
A choice application will not be accepted for a student who has been
expelled from the District or another district or charter school until
that student is eligible for readmission to the expelling district or
charter school. Students who are enrolled in alternative programs may
submit applications as appropriate for the next school year under the
established guidelines.
The District’s Board of Education may, in its sole discretion, refuse
to consider or approve applications submitted for students who have
been suspended or been absent from school without a valid excuse for
more than 15 school days during a school year in their district of
residence until the child has been reinstated in their district of
residence. For purposes of this section, “valid excuse” shall have the
same meaning as in Section 2721 of Title 14 of the Delaware Code.
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Any student who changes residence after September 30 may be
extended the option to continue attendance at his/her present school
until the conclusion of that school year. If the student wishes to
continue attendance at that school until the end of the grade
configuration, the student must apply during the choice period. If the
move happens after the choice window closes the student may submit
a good cause late application. A student who changes residence after
the conclusion of the third marking period of the junior year may be
extended the option to continue attendance at his/her present school
through graduation. The enrollment options described in this
paragraph shall be subject to the school choice enrollment provisions
of this policy.
Choice Enrollment Process
The District will hold at least one (1) public information session by
October 31 about the school choice opportunities available in the
District’s schools and programs for the coming school year.
Applications for the school choice process will be accepted from the
first Monday in November to the second Wednesday in January for
enrollment during the following school year in a program in grades 1
through 12, or up to the first day of the school year for enrollment in
a kindergarten program during that school year. Magnet Schools may
continue to accept applications after the second Wednesday in
January to fill remaining availability.
All applications must be submitted on the standard application
designed by the Delaware Department of Education.
The online application will be available on the first Monday in
November at www.schoolchoicede.org. Paper applications may also
be obtained from the main office of any Red Clay school, the Choice
Office, the District Office, the District website
(www.redclayschools.com) during the choice enrollment period, or
by contacting the Choice Office ((302) 552-3789).
The online application will close at 4:00 p.m. on the identified
closing date. All paper applications must be postmarked to, or
received in person at, the Choice Office, Red Clay Consolidated
School District, 2914 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE, 19808, by 4:00
p.m. on the identified closing date. Applications may also be
submitted the Delaware Department of Education (302) 735-4000.
No applications are to be submitted directly to schools.
Parents will be permitted to identify up to three schools or program
choices on the application, as well as the parent’s order of preference
for the schools or programs.
Choice Applications for Magnet Schools
Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Conrad Schools of Science, and
Lewis Dual Language are magnet schools and may require
supplemental information. Supplemental information requirements
for these schools can be obtained from the District website, the school
websites, or the main office of the respective schools.
Enrollment after the Choice Application Period (Good Cause)
No consideration will be given to late submissions or mail
inadequacies that delay postmark or receipt of the application. After
the identified deadlines, applications that meet the good cause
provisions of the law may be submitted.
Good cause late applications will be accepted for one of the following
reasons:
1. A change in a child’s residence due to a change in family
residence;
2. A change in the state in which the family residence is located;
3. A change in a child’s parent’s marital status;
4. A change caused by a guardianship proceeding;
5. Placement of a child in foster care;
6. Adoption;
7. Participation by a child in a foreign exchange program;
8. Participation by a child in a substance abuse or mental health
treatment program;
9. A reported and recorded instance of “bullying” against their child
or
10. A set of circumstances consistent with this definition of “good
cause.”
Parents who submit late applications because of good cause reasons
as outlined in this policy will be considered for enrollment or wait list
status on a space available basis. This process will occur after the
initial choice assignments have been made.
Students who are new to the District will be enrolled on a space
available basis for all grades and programs but will be guaranteed
enrollment at the school of residence.
Withdrawal of Choice Applications
An application may be withdrawn by written notification to the
receiving district and district of residence at any time prior to the
Board’s action on the application. If more than one application is on
file in the District at the time the assignment is made, the most recent
timely application receipt dated will be used for assignment.
If an application is withdrawn, the student will remain assigned to the
school of residence.
Board Action on Choice Applications
At the February Board meeting, the Administration will make a
recommendation to the board on the issuing of the choice invitations,
consistent with the criteria in this policy. It is the district’s further
responsibility to notify the Board if they believe the recommendation
may result in a school being significantly (greater than 105%) over
capacity.
Notification and Acceptance of Choice Assignments
Notice of the school assignment will be sent to students within five
working days of the Board’s action on the choice recommendation at
the February Board meeting, or, in the case of applications for
admission to a kindergarten program, by no later than June 15 of the
school year preceding enrollment. In the case of the applications
submitted after the initial deadline, notice will be sent no later than 45
days after the application is received.
Enrollment in a school by application is only for the following grade
spans, K-5, 6-8 or 9-12. A new choice application is required to
continue to the next grade span if the student does not live in the
attendance zone. Students return to their attendance zone school at
the completion of all grades of the choice school unless an
application is submitted and an invitation is issued.
Any student who is accepted for enrollment in a school and fails to be
promoted to the grade for which application was made will have
his/her choice invitation rescinded. Parents may write a letter to the
Choice Office to request a seat at the retained grade. Placement will
be made based upon available space.
A notice will be sent to all students by email or letter that a choice
application has been received. If that notice is not received by the
parent witin10 days after the application deadline, the parent must
contact the Choice Office to determine if the application has been
received.
Parents must accept or reject invitations to choice schools on or
before the third Friday in March. If no response is received, the
invitation will be rejected.
The District assumes no responsibility for ensuring correct contact
information for any notices transmitted to applicants, including
notices of wait list assignments.
Criteria for Acceptance to a Choice School
The capacity of each school will be reviewed annually by the
Superintendent in conjunction with the Board prior to the start of the
choice assignment process. By no later than November 30 of each
year, the Board will provide the Delaware Department of Education
with notice of the capacity of each program or school for the
following academic year and the projected enrollment for the
following academic year. The capacity and projected enrollment
figures may be revised until January 30. For the purposes of this
section “capacity” means the maximum number of students that a
program or school can contain as determined solely by considerations
of physical space, physical resources, and class size for each grade
level. For purposes of this section, “projected enrollment” means the
total number of returning students and new attendance zone students
the District anticipates will enroll in the program or school for the
following academic year.
The number will be used as a guideline to decide the choice capacity
of each school (i.e., how many choice students will be issued
invitations to enroll in each school and/or be placed on a wait list for
that school). Seats available at each grade level will be determined by
subtracting the projected enrollment from the capacity allocated to
each grade within the school.
The assignment process will be conducted so that students assigned
out of the school will increase the seats available for students
selecting the school.
The District may disapprove an application because of lack of
capacity in the District or in the school or program for which the
application is submitted. For the purposes of this section, “lack of
capacity” means that the school or program calculates projected
enrollment for the following academic year to be at least 85% of its
capacity.
Student Choice Selection Criteria
School choice applications received by the specified dates will be
considered in priority order (i.e. 1
st
school, 2
nd
school then 3
rd
school)
as indicated on the standard application.
Students will not receive more than one invitation to a Red Clay
school. If the student is invited to their first choice school no action
will be taken on their second or third choice school. If a student is
waitlisted for a higher priority school they will be considered for their
second choice school and if waitlisted for the second choice school
will then be considered for their third choice.
Consideration for enrollment is in accordance with the criteria listed:
1. Returning students who continue to meet the requirements for the
program or school, including students graduating from one school to
another within a single program.
2. Students who meet the requirements for the program or school and
who seek to attend based on the residence of the student’s parent in
the designated feeder pattern, if any, for the school.
3. In-district siblings of in-district students who are already enrolled
in the program and who will remain enrolled in the program for the
next school year, provided that the siblings meet the requirements for
the program or school. Exiting students are not considered siblings
for this enrollment preference.
4. Out-of-district siblings of out-of-district students who are already
enrolled in the program and who will remain enrolled in the program
for the next school year, provided that the siblings meet the
requirements for the program or school and the siblings have
designated the school as first, second, or third choice based on the
random number assigned by the computer lottery process. Exiting
students are not considered siblings for this enrollment preference.
5. In-district students who have designated the school as first, second,
or third choice based on the random number assigned by the
computer lottery process.
6. Out-of-district students who have designated the school as first,
second, or third choice based on the random number assigned by the
computer lottery process.
If there are more students’ selections for the school than there are
seats available, the computer lottery process will be used for
selection. All remaining students will be placed on the ranked wait
list based on category and random number within that category.
Wait List
A ranked wait list may be established for each school based on
selection criteria and the random number assigned to each applying
student and, for students who submit a late application that meets the
provisions of good cause, the order in which the application was
received.
Students will be maintained on the wait list for first, second, and third
choice schools as appropriate.
Red Clay students who are not assigned any of their three choices
may contact the Choice Office after the close of the assignment
process to request assignment to any school that is not
oversubscribed, if such a school is chosen over the school of
residence. These students will remain on the wait list of their first,
second, and third choice schools.
The wait list will be maintained until the first day of school.
Special Permission
All applications for assignment that are not covered in the above
provisions may be considered for special permission. Special
permissions will be granted in extenuating circumstances where the
provisions of the choice enrollment process are not applicable. An
application and an explanatory document outlining the reasons given
for the request must be submitted to the Superintendent, whose
decision shall be final.
Parents who are full-time employees of the District may apply for
special permission as follows:
1. An employee may request special permission for the employee’s
child to attend the school to which the employee is assigned, even if
that school is closed to choice or is a magnet school.
2. An employee who is not directly assigned to a school building may
request special permission for the employee’s child to attend a
District school, even if that school is closed to choice or is a magnet
school.3. An employee who resides out of state may request special
permission for the employee’s child to attend a District school as
described above. The employee will be charged tuition by the District
in accordance with state law.
Students seeking special permission to a magnet school must meet the
requirements for admission to the magnet school. Special permissions
are granted for the current school year only. A student who is
assigned to a school through special permission must submit a choice
application in order to remain at the school for subsequent years.
Program Continuation
Once a student is assigned to a school through the choice process, no
action is necessary in order for the student to remain for subsequent
years except as described in this policy. The student will have all the
rights and responsibilities of a resident student.
Any magnet school or program that is populated only by choice
applicants may establish additional requirements for enrollment
application and may identify admissions based on recommendations.
For purposes of this policy, Cab Calloway School of the Arts and
Conrad Schools of Science are considered single schools. However,
at Cab Calloway School of the Arts and Conrad Schools of Science, a
student must apply in order to continue to the next grade when
transitioning from grade 8 to grade 9. Students making application for
admission to grade 9 must meet the criteria for admissions to the 9-12
program.
For purposes of this policy, Brandywine Springs School is considered
a single program, at Brandywine Springs School, grades 6-8 are
populated only by choice applicants; a student must apply to continue
to the next grade when transitioning from grade 5 to grade 6.
A returning student preference at Cab Calloway School of the Arts,
Conrad School of Science and Brandywine Springs School is
applicable to all students enrolled in the school at the time of choice
invitations offered by the district. This preference does not supersede
the schools functional ability to de-choice a student in accordance
with policy.
Transportation
Bus assignments and stops for all choice students will be issued by
the Transportation Department based on the established routes for the
school.
Parents must assume the responsibility to have the student at the
designated location or to school.
Participation in Interscholastic Athletics
Students shall be governed by the rules of the Delaware
Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) with regard to eligibility
of the transferring student.
Students for whom this is a concern should check with the principal
of the school(s) being considered for choice.
Termination of Choice Enrollment
A parent may provide notice by the prior December 15 to terminate
enrollment in a school of choice at the end of the school year. An
application to withdraw may be accepted after the December 15
deadline if the deadline was missed for good cause reasons.
Following the granting of a request for withdrawal, the student’s
district of residence will be notified that the student will be returned
to the roster of the school of residence for projection purposes and
any application for a choice enrollment handled according to the
established process.
Any requests for program termination and reassignment outside of
the attendance zone within the school year will be processed as
special permission requests.
The district may terminate a student’s choice placement if the pupil:
1. Fails to comply with the district’s requirements for attending
school or class (10 unexcused absences, 25 absences or 25
days tardy, excused or unexcused.) or
2. Fails to meet the district or state criteria for promotion to the
next grade. or
3. Has at least 3 out of school suspensions, a combination of at
least 5 in or out of school suspensions or one or more serious
violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
Definitions)
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Responsibility
The Superintendent shall be responsible for compliance, including the
annual submission of the policy to the state Department of Education
and its appearance in student and staff handbooks or other annual
distribution to students, parents, and staff.
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References
Related policies: (None)
Related documents: Delaware Department of Education School
Choice Application Form, Red Clay Consolidated School District
Student Code of Conduct, Red Clay Consolidated School District
Online Choice Application, Cab Calloway School of the Arts School
Choice Application, Conrad Schools of Science School Choice
Application
Laws/Relevant Agencies:
14 Del. C. §§401-414
14 Del. C. Ch. 6
Delaware Department of Education
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Adoption Date
Approved:!
01/16/1985!(as!JECC),!10/18/19 95 !(as!JEC )!
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Revision/
Reapproval Date
Approved:!
01/16/1985!(as!JECC),!10/18/1995!(as!JEC)!
Revised:!
10/10/1996,!11/10/1997,!12/10/1997,!09/23/1998,!02/22/1999,!
07/07/2000,!09/24/2001,!09/18/2002,!04/16/2003,!09/08/2004,!
09/20/2006,!10/15/2008,!06/16/2010,!06/15/2011,!10/19/2011!
Amended:!
10/20/2004!
10/15/2014!
Reformatted:!
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08/20/2008!
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