When Will Polk Academies Open Registration Again

BARTOW — Polk County Public Schools is implementing new deadlines and procedures for parents and students enrolling in magnet or option schools , along with its nationally recognized career academies program.

"The objective was to reimagine the way that we practice option applications and choice open enrollment in our commune," said PCPS Senior Managing director of Workforce Educational activity and Multiple Pathways Steve Cochran. "We worked extremely hard, did a lot of legwork to bring us an heady new opportunity for the parents and stakeholders."

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In the past, there has been a limited deadline to enroll in the special programs, so families who moved to Polk County over the summer didn't take a chance to utilise some of the best educational opportunities available to students.

In addition, families hedged their bets past applying to multiple programs, hoping to get into their showtime selection while applying to other programs. Sometimes, they would be accepted into several programs as they waited for their first option to take them.  One time that happened, the other programs would be left with vacant seats. The district calls this practice "choice jumping."

"Last year, what nosotros did was outset open enrollment in November through Jan for the career academies and closed in January," Cochran said. "Wait lists were congenital. Special consideration was taken for open seats only. Some magnet schools that were open up would come up dorsum and request a few more seats. Some would non ask and wait to see if enrollment filled through traditional ways... the catamenia was closed and that was the stop of open enrollment."

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If a student is offered acceptance into a program, they have ten days to respond. If they accept the offering, they are removed from all other pools. If they don't take, they would remain in the pools for other schools and programs.

Now, in that location volition exist three enrollment periods and parents will be able to apply via calculator or on newspaper:

• Open Enrollment i — Jan. 4, 2022 - February. eighteen, 2022 — electronic and paper applications upon request - see your local school. March 28, 2022, notify families of acceptances to options
• Open Enrollment 2 — April 4, 2022 - April 29, 2022 — Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) During this state-mandated enrollment flow, parents seeking additional pick options for their students can employ for placement in any school in the land that has not reached capacity. Students may transfer to individual schools using scholarships.
• Open Enrollment 3 — May 2, 2022 - Opening of the school year — Opening newspaper applications after COE through the kickoff of the school yr or until all seats have been filled. Paper applications available for Magnet, Selection and Career Academies. No limits on family choice options.

"We are proposing no limits on family unit choice options," Cochran said. "We know that even with choice jumping, families notwithstanding movement around with various options of Hope, McKay and Family unit Empowerment Scholarships."

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Some other change was to allow the use of newspaper applications to help accommodate families who don't have a computer and/or net at home. The district learned how widespread that result was during the pandemic last year, when it had to provide school buses equipped with WiFi to travel to neighborhoods without access.

School Board vice-chair Kay Fields was thankful for the newspaper applications. Fields runs a local non-turn a profit after-school and summertime program called Girls, Inc., which provides extra educational opportunities, particularly for depression-income girls.

"Parents don't accept access to electronics, so that's going to increment the variety at our schools," Fields said.

Despite acclaim for good programs, the commune has had a hard fourth dimension sharing with students and parents — specially those new to the district — all they have to offer. In the past, they have held the We3 program at the RP Funding Center so students and parents could talk with students and program directors from each of the schools. But COVID-nineteen has put a halt to that. They are, instead, hoping to create videos for each special programme and have open up houses.

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"In lieu of having the We3, we are still intending on having an open house, starting with schools (and) bringing in their feeder design schools and having an evening to allow parents to see what that schools has to offer – COVID willing," Cochran said.

Sara Beth Reynolds, who serves on the academies' lath, was appreciative of their efforts, including looking at what multiple other districts do.

"I know this is something we've struggled with for years, "Reynolds said.  "Nosotros have kids who move in the week earlier schoolhouse starts and don't take the aforementioned option as kids who've been here for two years."

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School Board member Lisa Miller, whose family owns a real estate business concern, thanked the staff, noting that real estate listing must include which schools a dwelling house is zoned for. She asked how this volition affect scheduling and was told by PCPS Senior Director of Acceleration and Innovation Brian Warren that it would non have a large bear on.

"Typically, what we come across with the information we runway, we are not seeing big groups of students moving," Warren said. "The week prior to school – y'all accept those single digit number of folks moving and trying to get in. They're either coming from another option school or zoned school. It does take an bear on because at that place is a school that has had that student on their roster and is expecting them to bear witness up."

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William Allen, who campaigned on better choice for students, was thrilled, saying he had faced the same obstruction when he moved back to Polk Canton with his family several years ago.

"I would like to jump upwards and shout hurray," he said.

Open enrollment begins Jan. 4.

Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore tin can exist reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.

Schools of Selection, Magnet Schools and Career Academies.

Magnet and option schools offer the standard required curriculum of general education, likewise every bit distinctive themes or programs, such as science, technology, math or the arts, that attract students to the schools. Originally, the sole purpose of magnet was to desegregate schools that were specifically identified in the Polk County desegregation agreement. Selection schools tin exist created in response to customs or school interest.

Fractional Choice Schools

Partial choice schools accept a student population comprised of students who are zoned for that school past the address where they live and a group of students who apply for a predetermined number of selection seats.

Full Selection Schools

Full option schools accept a student population comprised of students who have practical to the school. This blazon of schoolhouse is similar to a magnet school in that all seats at the school are filled through an application process.

Career Academies

These are small, personalized learning communities centered on a career theme. These programs include a higher-prep curriculum and paths to industry certifications. Career Academies align with local manufacture needs and ensure that students are prepared to get skilled employees in high-demand occupations.

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Source: https://www.theledger.com/story/news/education/2021/10/14/changes-pcps-open-enrollment-magnet-choice-and-academies/8435921002/

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