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Children from 10 schools can opt to transfer in fall

By TOM MARSHALL
Published July 23, 2006

BROOKSVILLE - There's a school choice rush underway this summer in the Hernando County Public Schools.

Families from 10 designated low-income schools - Brooksville, Deltona, Eastside, Moton, Pine Grove, Spring Hill, and Westside elementary schools, and Parrott, Fox Chapel and West Hernando middle schools - can send their children to a different school this fall if they wish, said Diane Dannemiller, coordinator of federal programs.

All but one of those Title 1 schools failed to make sufficient improvements for two or more years in a row on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test among at least some student groups, she said.

The exception, Eastside, did make adequate progress this year but must remain on the school choice list for a probationary year since it missed during the two previous years, Dannemiller said.

That means parents from those 10 schools can send their children to four higher-performing Title 1 schools -J.D. Floyd and Suncoast elementary schools and the middle school programs at J.D. Floyd and Powell - that did make adequate progress last year according to the federal government.

Judging from the number of calls, there's plenty of interest.

"My phone has been ringing continuously," Dannemiller said.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, schools must improve test scores every year and also show improvement among subgroups of students, including those in minority, low-income or special-needs groups.

Leaving one Title 1 school for another might not always make sense for families, particularly if it results in a long daily commute across the county or a move from a school that is already performing well, Dannemiller said.

For example, parents might think twice before leaving Eastside Elementary School since it earned an "A" grade from the state and did make adequate federal progress this year.

But parents in those schools do have the right to look elsewhere, and should contact their current schools to ask about application procedures. The deadline for choosing a new school is July 28.

Other options for school choice are available

Deadlines for other schools of choice have passed for this fall, but orientation programs will be starting in October for the 2007-2008 school year.

There are three magnet schools and one charter school in Hernando County, all of which use a lottery or portfolio system for admission to a limited number of spaces.

Students from under-performing Title 1 schools cannot transfer to magnet or charter schools except by the normal admissions process, Dannemiller said.

Half of the students attending Chocachatti Elementary School, Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics, and Nature Coast Technical High School will gain a seat through portfolio review.

Applications for that process are due by 3 p.m. on Dec. 1, said James Knight, director of school services.

The other half of those seats will be determined through a lottery that will take place on Jan. 27.

Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, the county's only public charter school, selects all of its students in sixth through eighth grades using a lottery system.

"As long as students complete the required elements of the application and get it in on time, they're in the lottery," said director of administration Nevin Siefert.

Applications will be available in January and due by the first week of February. Required small-group interviews take place in March, and the lottery happens in April, he said.

Special-needs students may be eligible for a state McKay Scholarship, which provides both private and public school choice to families that need specific programs or services. Families should contact the district's Exceptional Student Education Office at 797-7022 for more information.

The district also offers a limited "controlled choice" program for all families that wish to send a child outside their assigned neighborhood school, on a space-available basis. School reassignment applications can be submitted between February and June.

"But the earlier the better," Knight said. "If they want to go to a non-zoned school, they should (apply) by February. By June there is no choice."

Tom Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1431.

[Last modified July 22, 2006, 20:05:52]