Delaware school choice is about to open. Here's a guide to applying with your student
School choice applications for the 2024-25 school year open on Monday, Nov. 6.
Applications must be submitted on the state's website: SchoolChoiceDE.org. There, at the one-stop-shop for all participating public schools and charter schools in Delaware, you can create, edit and monitor your forms.
The school choice program allows families to apply to enroll their children in any Delaware public school district, charter school or vocational-technical school, regardless of their home address. This process to choice into schools was streamlined over a decade ago when a new law created an application window, standardized applications and brought everything online.
It's recommended that families review choice policies for any districts or schools they plan on selecting and plan a visit to learn more about the programs.
Though signing all the right forms does not guarantee a spot, schools and the Delaware Department of Education spell out the process for parents.
Register your student at home, do your research
First of all, guardians should be sure to register their student at the correct school of residence.
A child's "school of residence" is the school that the student attends based on home address. Use the state's school locator map if you're uncertain. Even kindergarten students must be preregistered with their home school before school choice applications will be processed.
Now, do some research.
Visit school websites and check out meetings. Learn more about available programs that make this district or school a top choice for your student. School performance data is available online. Some schools may also have different application requirements and preferences to understand.
While the lotteries are mostly random, some schools differ.
For example, EastSide Charter School, First State Montessori Academy and Newark Charter School have had a 5-mile radius preference. Wilmington Charter and Delaware Military Academy also give priority to students who live within Red Clay Consolidated School District.
Some schools lean toward students with specific interests, like future careers in the military, or interest in art or science. All schools have a sibling preference.
So, do some digging ahead of time.
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Time to apply
Any family looking to choice must apply.
An online standard application is preferred. The 2024-25 application period will open at 8 a.m. Nov. 6 and close by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 10.
Guardians must create an account with a username and password to use the application site. Then, keep ahold of it. From there, forms can be completed with a selection of choice schools. You can list up to three schools.
A separate application must be submitted for each child. It's important to maintain accurate contact information, to ensure that schools can communicate with you.
Parents/guardians will receive an email confirmation once an application has been submitted, and with that login information, they can review, edit or withdraw the application at any time prior to the deadline.
Some charters, vocational-tech districts and magnet schools may continue to accept applications after Jan. 10 to fill any remaining availability. Applications can also be submitted outside of the standard choice window in certain “good cause” situations, while kindergarten applications can be submitted until the first day of school.
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Next: the results.
Schools process applications based on state and local policy, according to the Education Department. Some schools use lotteries; some use lotteries after their outlined preferences.
Regardless, the state says families will be notified of application status no later than the final day of February. The year 2024 is actually a leap year, so that will be Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Similarly, by March 15, parents must have signaled their decision.
You can accept only one school — though you will not be taken off a waitlist you're on until the first day of school, even if another school's invitation is accepted. If you plan on rejecting an invitation, do so promptly to provide notification to the school.
If students or parents ever wanted to end their school choice participation, there's another form for that.
For any questions or contacts, DDOE lists information for participating district and charters online.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's school choice window is about to open. Here's your guide
