Washoe Country School District
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School Choice Frequently Asked Questions
School Choice
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PARENTS & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Spanish Version of the General Information for Parents and Frequently Asked Questions
When are children eligible for school choice?
Children are eligible for school choice when the Title I school they attend has not made adequately yearly progress in improving student achievement—as defined by state—for two consecutive years or longer and is therefore identified as needing improvement. Any child attending such a school must be offered the option of transferring to a public school in the district—including a public charter school—not identified for school improvement. As of the 2002-2003 school year, school choice is available to students enrolled in schools that have been identified as needing improvement under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as the statute existed prior to the enactment of No Child Left Behind.
Do I have to transfer my child to another school?
NO. We’re providing parents with this opportunity as an option. The decision is entirely up to you, so you should base your decision on what you think is best for your child. Making a list of pro’s and con’s for each school may help with this decision. If you feel your child would be better off remaining at your zoned school, all you have to do is contact your school site and follow the same yearly registration process.
To which school may my child transfer?
Not all schools in the district are eligible to accept transfer students. Transfers are available only to Receiving Schools that are determined by the school district. Receiving Schools will be selected after considering the following criteria: 1. AYP-Adequate Yearly Progress 2. Bus routes 3. Distance from Sending School.
Is my child guaranteed a place in a receiving school?
We make every effort to transfer every child whose parent applies and we will confirm with you in a timely manner whether or not your child is able to attend the selected school of choice.
What if I want to transfer more than one child?
If you choose to transfer more than one child to the same ReceivingSchool, we will make every effort to transfer the children to that school. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that transfers will be approved for all siblings.
How will students be chosen?
We want to accommodate as many choices as possible, however there are limitations to the amount of transfer requests for any receiving school site. If a large number of parents select a particular school site over the other, we may not be able to accommodate all requests. Under federal law, we must give first priority to low-income students with the lowest –achieving academic skills. Student eligibility will be based on the student’s qualification for free and reduced lunch, as well as the student’s achievement scores on the statewide assessment program.
How will my child get to a receiving school?
If your transfer is approved, your child will have free busing to the ReceivingSchool for as long as your current zoned school does not make adequate yearly progress on the statewide assessment program for two years in a row. If your zoned school is no longer In Need of Improvement transportation will no longer be provided.
What’s the deadline for applying?
The sending school or the Title I office will notify you of the deadline dates.
What if my transfer application is not accepted?
If your transfer is not approved, your child will stay in your currently zoned school.
When will you tell me if my transfer application is approved?
Someone from the Title I department will contact you as soon as your request is processed.
When can I visit the accepting school?
If you’re thinking about transferring your child to one of the Receiving Schools, we encourage you to visit them and contact the Title I department with any questions.
Questions
If you have any questions about the School Choice program, please contact the Title I office at 333-7561 or 333-6034 for Spanish speaking parents.
