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Open Enrollment kicks off National School Choice Week

Clay Today
Posted 1/23/19

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay County District Schools is now accepting applications for nearly 1,300 open seats at 11 district schools for the 2019-2020 academic year. The district began accepting …

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Open Enrollment kicks off National School Choice Week


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Clay County District Schools is now accepting applications for nearly 1,300 open seats at 11 district schools for the 2019-2020 academic year. The district began accepting applications on Jan. 21 with the start of National School Choice Week and will accept applications until Feb. 22.

The Clay County School Board approved a policy to comply with the state’s open enrollment law for the 2019-2020 school year. The policy allows students across the district and in other Florida counties to apply for a seat in Clay County Schools with capacity for additional students in 2019-2020 and subsequent school years.

Under state law, parents and legal guardians in Florida may now transfer their students to any school that has available capacity provided that the student is not subject to current expulsion or suspension. Open enrollment is designed to give parental choice when families decide how and where they want their students to be educated. Open enrollment is being offered as another opportunity for school choice and will complement the District’s existing variety of special pupil requests. Parents or legal guardians who elect to transfer students through the open enrollment process will be responsible for providing transportation for their students.

The Clay County School Board has established a capacity threshold of 85 percent. This means that any school with less than 85 percent enrollment will be open and eligible for open enrollment.

Families wishing to participate in open enrollment must submit a completed online application by Feb. 22, available on the district’s website at oneclay.net. Printed copies of the application are also available at the school district’s offices in Green Cove Springs. Printed applications submitted via U.S. Mail must be received by Feb. 22 for consideration. One application is required for each school for which the student requests consideration.

Pursuant to open enrollment, if there are more applicants than seats available at a specific school, a lottery shall be conducted to determine which students are granted admission. There are four categories under which students can receive priority consideration in a lottery selection process – dependent children of active duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders; children who have been relocated due to foster care placement in a different school zone; children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent; and students who reside in the district. Any school with capacity under 85 percent will be part of the open enrollment lottery. Students who qualify for one of the priority categories listed above will be drawn first, followed by any students who reside outside of Clay County. A waiting list will be maintained through the fifth day of the school year.

A copy of the board-approved controlled open enrollment policy is available on oneclay.net, along with the 2019-2020 implementation plan and a list of frequently asked questions surrounding the law and Clay County’s plan.