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Schools
In Pinellas, it's time to choose a school
In Pinellas, Applications for regular or "attendance area" schools are being accepted today through April 9.
By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published March 21, 2006
The second phase of the school choice application period begins today for the families of more than 20,000 students who need to choose a Pinellas County public school for the 2006-07 academic year.
About 3,000 students already have learned of their assignments to magnet, fundamental and career academy programs.
Applications for regular or "attendance area" schools will be accepted today through April 9.
The application period is primarily for kindergarteners and students entering middle and high school who do not have "extended grandfathering" to their former neighborhood school.
Children coming into the district for the first time, including those who previously attended private schools, also must apply.
Other students can apply to a different school in their attendance area, but doing so means they forfeit their current seat as well as extended grandfathering privileges.
Students who already have accepted a seat in a magnet, fundamental or career academy program give up that seat if they apply to an attendance area school.
The district will notify families of their school assignment by mail by April 26.
Now in its fourth cycle, the district's method of matching students to schools began in 2003 as part of a federal desegregation lawsuit. It replaced the former system, in which students went to schools in their neighborhoods.
In the past three years, about 82 percent of students got the school they ranked first on their application. Almost 8 percent got their second-choice school.
This year, the district made several changes to the application process, including decreasing the number of choices families must make from five to three.
The process has been automated, replacing paper applications.
All applications can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on an automated phone line, (727) 501-0871.
Fifth- and eighth-graders in the system can apply online. They already have been mailed a code number to use at http://apply.pinellaschoice.org
Parents who want their child to attend the same school as another household member will not need to apply if the family preference eligibility is confirmed by a Family Education and Information Center.
Students new to the district must register at one of two family centers before submitting an application. One center is at 1101 Marshall St. in Clearwater. The other is at 3420 Eighth Ave. S in St. Petersburg.
The centers will be closed March 28-31 for spring break.
Parents who are unsure how to proceed may visit one of the centers and ask a customer service representative to walk them through the process.
[Last modified March 21, 2006, 02:30:40]
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