What is Public School Choice?

What is Public School Choice? 
Public School Choice is a provision in the No Child Left Behind law which allows parents to transfer their children to a higher performing school under certain circumstances.

Which students are eligible for Public School Choice?
Eligible students are those attending a Title 1 school that is in Year 1 (or beyond) of School Improvement Status.  Since the number of transfer slots available at other schools may be limited, transferring to another school is not guaranteed.  Children from low income families who are most in need academically will be proritized for available transfer slots.

Will I be informed if my child is eligible to transfer to another school?
Yes, your child's school district is required to notify you if your child is eligible.  If you think your child might be eligible, but you have not been notified, check with the principal of your child's school or your school district's Title 1 Coordinator.

What schools can my child transfer to?
Your child's school district must provide transportation to the new school.  They must continue to provide transportation to the new school as long as the old school remains in School Improvement Status.

How do I apply for the transfer?
The school district must tell parents how and when to apply for the transfer.  This is usually done at the beginning of the school year.  Parents must apply for the transfer by the required date.

There are a number of school choice options for parents in Washington DC. They are listed below, with contact information for parents interested in exercising their options.

Out-of-Boundary – within the Washington DC public school system
To increase parental choice options, the out-of-boundary application process (discretionary transfer) is for parents/guardians who wish to enroll their children in DCPS schools other than their neighborhood school. DCPS out-of-boundary applications are processed from late January to mid-March by the Office of Student and School Support Services. This office may be reached via telephone at 202.442.5099.

Transfer to Charter Schools
Charter schools are independently-operated public schools that are open to all District residents, regardless of their neighborhood, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, or ethnicity. Free to all, public charter schools are non-sectarian and do not discriminate. There are no admission tests or tuition fees. Parents and students choose to attend a particular charter school because its unique focus, curriculum, structure, size, environment, and other features meet the individual needs of families and students. Enrollment is on a space-available basis. When a charter school has reached its maximum enrollment, a waiting list is developed, and a lottery system is used as spaces become available. Charter Schools receive public funds based on the number of students they enroll, as do all District of Columbia public schools. The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board is the authorizing and monitoring entity for public charter schools in the District.

For more information on Washington DC Charter Schools, click on the following websites:

• DC Public Charter School Board
  http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/pcschools/index.html
• Friends of Choice in Urban Schools
  http://www.focus-dccharter.org/

Transfer to Private Schools Via School Vouchers
School vouchers, also known as scholarships, redirect the flow of education funding, channeling it directly to individual families rather than to school districts. This allows families to select the public or private schools of their choice and have all or part of the tuition paid.

The Washington Scholarship Fund is the largest K-12 scholarship granting organization in the District. The Fund has distributed nearly $53 million in privately and publicly funded scholarships and served more than 6,500 students in over 14 years of operation. For more information on the Washington Scholarship Fund, go to http://www.washingtonscholarshipfund.org/programs/index.html or contact them using the information below:

Washington Scholarship Fund
1100 17th Street NW, Suite 330
Washington DC 20036

phone: 202.222.0535
phone: 1.888.DCYOUTH
fax: 202.222.0543

For more information, contact DC PIRC at 202.238.9355.

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