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DONNA WINCHESTERIf your child is assigned to a school you don't like, or if you think it's time for a change, there are a few alternatives.
Despite the additional options available to parents under the "controlled choice" plan, the district does not guarantee that you will receive your first or second pick - or even your fourth or fifth - when you enter the lottery for an attendance area school.
Too many variables are at play, such as the number of seats available at each school and the court-mandated racial ratios that must be maintained until 2007.
Additionally, some schools are simply more popular than others. Obviously, the odds of getting your child into a school that a lot of other parents are interested in will not be as good as the odds of getting a seat in a school that is "underchosen."
Where can you turn if, after carefully researching schools and making your selections, you find that your child is assigned to a school that you don't think you can live with?
A longtime Pinellas County educator offers this advice: Be open-minded. While you may not have received the school assignment you wanted, the school you got might be a good match for your child.
If you haven't already visited the school, do so. Talk to the principal, the teacher and the guidance counselor. Don't hesitate to voice your concerns. If the school's grade is an issue, ask about it. If you fear the school won't offer your child enough support or enough challenges, say so. Then listen to what the principal, teacher or guidance counselor has to say.
Find out how you can get involved at the school. If you have time during the day, ask whether you can help out in the cafeteria or in a classroom. If you don't have free daytime hours, ask about joining the PTA or the School Advisory Council. Find out what you can do to make a positive impact on the school.
Meanwhile, keep in mind that students who are not assigned to their first- or second-choice schools during the computer match process are placed on a waiting list for those schools. Children remain on the lists during the first six weeks of the school year, so it's possible you could get a phone call from the district during that time informing you that a seat has become available for your child.
Students also have the option of changing their school assignment once during the school year. A request for transfer, if approved, allows a student to attend another school in the choice attendance area in which he resides.
It's important to keep in mind that children can transfer only to a school that has room and where the court-ordered ratio of black students and nonblack students would not be compromised. It wouldn't make sense for a parent to request a transfer to a child's first- or second-choice school, since the child is already on a waiting list for those schools. Realize that after the computer has made its matches, the only schools likely to have seats are those that were underchosen during the choice application period.
Another option is to apply for a Special Attendance Permit. SAPs are offered to parents of elementary or middle school students who wish to apply to a school outside their attendance area. But remember that students who completed the choice application process and were placed on waiting lists have priority over those who request an SAP. Also, only one SAP can be granted to a student in a school year.
Finally, if a parent thinks that assignment guidelines were not followed in the processing of his or her child's application, the parent can file an appeal. Appeals will not be considered simply because a parent is dissatisfied with a child's school assignment. Parents who wish to appeal must do so within 10 days of notification of the student's school assignment.
Ultimately, parents have the option of entering the choice application process again. Less than a month into the 2005-06 school year, they will have the chance to make new selections for the 2006-07 school year.