I. The School District shall develop a Controlled Open Enrollment Plan that will be approved by the School Board and considered part of this policy. This plan will enable the District to consider student assignment based on parental preference when requested by the parent as defined by Florida Statutes.

II. The plan shall include but not be limited to the following:

A. Eligibility requirements;

B. Application process;

C. Time period for accepting applications;

D. Capacity determination for each district school by grade level, updated every 12 weeks;

E. Identification of schools that have not reached capacity;

F. Class size standards;

G. Lottery and preference procedures used to determine student assignment if transfer requests exceed available space;

H. Provision for a parent to request placement of siblings within the same school;

I. Appeals process for hardship cases;

J. Address the availability of transportation options required by law or available through the District or in the community;

K. The availability of funds for transportation under ss. 1002.394, 1002.395, and 1011.68; and

L. Maintain a wait list of students who are denied access due to capacity and notify parents when space becomes available throughout the year.

III. The process for implementing the plan must

A. Adhere to federal desegregation requirements;

B. Allow parents to declare school preferences, including placement of siblings within the same school;

C. Provide a lottery procedure to determine student assignment and establish an appeals process for hardship cases;

D. Maintain socioeconomic, demographic, and racial balance;

E. Address the availability of transportation;

F. Allow a student to remain at the chosen school until he/she completes the highest grade level at the school;

G. Identify schools that have not reached capacity, as determined by the District; and

H. Maintain existing academic eligibility criteria for public school choice programs.

IV. Students residing in the District, including charter school students, shall not be displaced by a student from another district who is seeking enrollment through the open enrollment provisions, nor shall a student residing within a school’s attendance boundaries (their districted school) be displaced by a student residing outside that attendance boundary.

V. Preferential treatment shall be provided as required by F.S. 1002.31 and outlined in the Controlled Open Enrollment Plan.

VI. The Controlled Open Enrollment Plan shall be available on the School Choice section of the district website.

VII. The process for participating in controlled open enrollment shall be posted on the District website with a list of schools that have not reached capacity, the application for participation, and the deadline for submitting the request to participate in controlled open enrollment.

VIII. The District shall report the number of students participating in public school choice by type as required by the Department of Education.

IX. The Controlled Open Enrollment Plan and the process for implementing the plan shall be reviewed annually by the Superintendent or designee. If the plan is materially revised or if substantive changes are necessary, the Superintendent shall present the plan and recommended changes to the School Board for consideration.

NEFEC
Revised: 06/27/22