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School choice program draws few applicants

The program aims to encourage racial diversity without court-mandated busing. The deadline to apply is today.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published January 23, 2006

TAMPA - Few Hillsborough parents are applying to send their kids to different schools next fall through choice, despite changes designed to increase participation in the program.

Only 1,351 children - or less than 1 percent of the students in the school district - had submitted school choice applications as of Wednesday. This year, about 1,600 children switched schools through the $10-million grant-funded program, which aims to encourage racial diversity without court-mandated busing.

The deadline for submitting an application is today.

The response for next fall has been tepid despite changes that allowed students in kindergarten through 11th grade to seek a transfer. Before, only kindergarteners, sixth-graders and ninth-graders could apply.

The district also revamped the attractor programs designed to lure families out of their neighborhoods to less diverse campuses.

But they haven't been attractive enough, as evidenced by the much stronger interest in the district's magnet schools. More than 3,000 elementary and middle school students have applied to schools that offer a specialty curricula, even though no bus transportation is provided to magnet programs.

More than 100 students, for example, have applied to Lomax Elementary, which has a math and science program. Almost 400 students want to enter Williams Middle, an International Baccalaureate school.

Aside from some expected spikes, such as 74 families asking to get into previously capped Newsome High School and 64 seeking entry into Tampa Palms Elementary, the choice numbers have been considerably lower.

School Board members acknowledge that choice has failed to spur much interest during its three-year run. Their explanations range from the usual - families are happy where they are - to admissions that the district has done a poor job explaining the concept to parents.

"Is it a failure? No," board member Candy Olson said. "But we need to do much, much better."

She and others hope a newly approved reorganization of the choice department, with a focus on money for programs rather than employee salaries, will make a difference. Simpler brochures making all choice options clear to parents and students also could help.

"There has been confusion among parents in terms of what they are applying for," board member Jack Lamb said. "Hopefully, this will be clarified."

One thing is certain: The School Board has no intention of doing away with choice as one of the many programs through which students can switch schools.

"We'll have to keep working on it, because we definitely want our schools to be integrated," board Chairwoman Carolyn Bricklemyer said.

Parents still interested in choice, which includes transportation for some but not all options, can apply through midnight. The district choice phone center will be open until 7 tonight, and applications through the Internet can be submitted until midnight The address is http://apps1.sdhc k12.fl.us/choice/.

Applications mailed today must have a Jan. 23 postmark.

"If we receive something that is postmarked Jan. 24, they will get a call from us thanking them for applying, but we received it too late," specialist Geraldine Nelson said.

After the deadline passes, the school district will review all valid applications and assign students to schools as seats are available.

"It's a lottery process. No one has been accepted (yet)," said choice technology supervisor Pansy Houghton.

Applications for magnet programs also have a deadline today. Open choice and special assignment will open for application on March 1. Students do not get busing to their chosen school through these programs.

--Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 813 269-5304 or solochek@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 23, 2006, 00:59:12]