Public High School Choice, Act 129 of 2012, allows students to apply to attend any other high school in the state. Schools are allowed to limit the number of students who may transfer from a school, with a cap of 10 percent of resident students or 40, whichever is smaller; schools may set higher limits. Schools are also required to determine annually their capacity to receive students, using a variety of criteria, although there is no numerical or percentage formula. If more students want to transfer out of − or enroll into − a school than there are places available, nondiscriminatory lotteries are used. The law provides no funding for transportation and, unless schools agree otherwise, no tuition or other charges changes hands. Public High School Choice is different from towns paying tuition for their students when they do not have schools at specific grade levels and if they are not part of supervisory unions.
Public High School Choice Guidelines
- A student must be registered with their resident district high school before applying for choice
- A student’s Resident District High School is their more recent school or, if a middle school student, the high school they would normally enroll is considered the most recent school
- Choice applications are filed with the resident district high school
- A student must be in “Good Standing” for choice consideration
- Changes in residence address or contact information must be communicated to both the Resident District High School and the Receiving Choice School
Process
- Student registers for school with the resident high school district Counseling/Guidance Office
- Student obtains school choice application (available mid-January for the upcoming school year). Reapplication is not necessary for students who are currently exercising choice, as long as the student maintains “student in good standing” status
- Application is completed and returned by the end of February by student to resident district high school Counseling/Guidance Office
- Student is contacted regarding the decision in writing one month after application is submitted
- If approved, student must notify both the resident district high school and the receiving school to accept/decline choice in writing no more than two weeks after the student is notified by the school of choice decision (refer to deadlines below)
- If choice is accepted, student must enroll for classes at receiving school
Deadlines and Timeline
- Mid-January: School Choice Applications for the upcoming school year are available and will be posted online
- March 1: deadline for student to apply for choice (beginning of “rolling admissions”)
- One month after application is turned in: school notifies student/parents of choice decision
- Two weeks after school notifies: student notifies resident district high school and receiving choice school (in writing) to accept/decline choice and sets an appointment with the receiving school for class registration