2370.02 - MAGNET AND CHOICE PROGRAMS/SCHOOLS

The School Board of Polk County

Bylaws & Policies

Unless a specific policy has been amended and the date the policy was revised is noted at the bottom of that policy, the bylaws and policies of The School Board of Polk County were adopted on November 12, 2013 and were in effect beginning November 12, 2013.

2370.02 - MAGNET AND CHOICE PROGRAMS/SCHOOLS

Magnet programs/schools broaden public school choice, stem declining enrollment, mitigate overcrowding, help comply with Federal and State-mandated public school choice provisions, accommodate parent/student interest, improve the quality of education, and promote diverse student enrollments. Magnet programs/schools are unique educational programs operating within the District, for which additional resources and/or ancillary services may be provided in order to help make such educational experiences available to students beyond a single attendance boundary area.

Magnet programs/schools encourage academic excellence in basic areas of study as well as intensive educational experiences in areas in which students demonstrate unusual talent, interest, and/or aspiration. In addition, magnet programs/schools offer students a chance to acquire or develop the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary to pursue post-secondary aspirations in highly specialized areas of interest. Another goal of magnet programs/schools is to recruit students whose unique language needs or abilities, socio-economic circumstances, race, ethnicity, gender, and exceptional education needs are underrepresented in the magnet program/school.

Magnet programs/schools are classified under a broad definition of school choice in which an application/random selection process is used to select and admit students. Application to magnet programs/schools is voluntary and no other transfer provisions, other than the admission processes in this policy, may be used to access magnet programs/schools.

The overarching purpose of magnet programs/schools is to provide an optional educational environment for students that is/are pedagogically and/or geographically distinct from what is offered in their assigned home school. In addition to unique curricular offerings, magnet programs/schools may be also be conceptually-based. Prior to October 1st of each year, the Superintendent will update to the School Board with regard to magnet programs/schools that are operational in the District and to which this policy applies.

Types of Magnet Programs/Schools

	A.	Magnet and Choice Program (School-within-a-School): A magnet or choice program affords a unique instructional program or setting to a specified number of students from more than one attendance area in a school which also provides a regular program to students from a specific attendance boundary. Students from both the magnet and the regular program are provided opportunities to interact with each other to the extent possible.
	B.	Magnet and Choice School (Schoolwide): A magnet or choice school offers unique instructional programs or settings to all students attending the school and is defined with an attendance boundary to serve all students from its designated attendance boundary.

Guidelines and Procedures

The Superintendent shall establish administrative procedures and guidelines to address the following issues related to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of magnet programs/schools.

Planning

To determine the need for a magnet or choice program/school, special consideration shall be given to the following:

			a.	public interest in particular magnet themes;
			b.	the need to stem declining enrollment or mitigate overcrowding;
			c.	improving the quality of education through proven curricular and instructional approaches;
			d.	expanding public school choice options for parents/guardians, including commuter and workplace magnet schools;
			e.	ensuring equitable access for all students;
			f.	budgetary constraints;
			g.	availability of support, fiscal or otherwise, from outside sources (e.g. municipalities, grants, etc.); and/or
			h.	enhancing diverse student enrollments.

		2.	Proposals for new magnet or choice programs/schools shall be annually considered by the Superintendent. Recommendations by the school's administrative and instructional staff, school based and District staff should play a major role in the selection of the program’s theme/focus.
		3.	To determine the enrollment level needed to offer a viable program, staff, including representatives from the school and District will establish both a minimum number and a maximum number of students to be served by each magnet or choice program/school.

	B.	Implementation
		School Choice and Parental Options (or comparable District office/department) will conduct countywide marketing and recruitment activities beginning in the fall of each school year with the goal of achieving a broadly diverse student population reflective of the diversity in the student population District-wide.

Each magnet program/school will conduct marketing and recruitment activities specific to their program’s/school’s theme or purpose, including but not limited to:

			a.	mailed brochures;
			b.	automated phone and/or e-mail messages;
			c.	open houses and school tours; and
			d.	presentations at feeder schools.

		2.	Annually, prior to the beginning of the recruitment period, each magnet or choice program/school principal, in conjunction with District staff, will identify the number of magnet or choice program/school seats available at the magnet program/school by grade level. The overall diversity of the program/school will be reviewed by District staff following the initial Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) reporting week in the fall.
		3.	Recruitment for magnet programs/schools for the subsequent school year shall include a series of promotional/informational events and materials will be planned and disseminated District-wide to coincide with this timeframe.
		4.	One of the goals of magnet and choice programs/schools is to recruit students whose unique language needs or abilities, socio-economic circumstances, race, ethnicity, gender, and exceptional education needs are underrepresented in the magnet program/school. Another goal is to ensure that students have adequate opportunities to enroll in educational programs which may not be available in their zoned school. In order to meet these goals, each school, in conjunction with District staff, will develop targeted recruitment goals and strategies.
		5.	Office of Acceleration and Innovation, in conjunction with the Information Technology Services (or comparable District office/department), will process all magnet and choice applications centrally via an on-line application process.
		6.	Applications for admission to magnet and choice programs/schools must be received during the annual open enrollment period of the school year preceding the year for which admission to the program/school is sought. Application forms for magnet and choice programs/schools shall be available through the District’s website at the commencement of the application period.
			Admission procedures for magnet schools are governed by the Final Order entered by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, on March 13, 2000, and references therein to the Orders entered on July 8, 1992 and April 15, 1998 and the September 23, 1999 Settlement Agreement in the case of Herman Henry Mills, et al. vs. The School Board of Polk County, Florida, et al., Case Number 63-150 CIV-T-H.
		7.	Students who live in the areas zoned for the following schools may apply to attend the Magnet and Choice schools in that magnet zone. *Tenoroc High School serves students in either the Lakeland or Winter Haven magnet zones, which is determined by the student’s residential address.

Students who live in the areas zoned for Lakeland High School, George Jenkins High School, Lake Gibson High School, Kathleen High School, and Tenoroc High School* may apply to attend:

				1)	Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
				2)	Lincoln Avenue Academy
				3)	Rochelle School of the Arts
				4)	Crystal Academy of Science and Engineering
				5)	Winston Academy of Engineering
				6)	Combee Academy of Design and Engineering
				7)	Blake Academy

Students who live in the areas zoned for Winter Haven High School, Auburndale High School, Lake Region High School, and Tenoroc High School* may apply to attend:

				1)	Brigham Academy
				2)	Jewett Academy
				3)	Jewett School of the Arts
				4)	Lake Alfred Polytech Academy

Students who live in the areas zoned for Haines City High School and Ridge Community High School may apply to attend:

				1)	Bethune Academy
				2)	Dundee Elementary Academy
				3)	Dundee Ridge Middle Academy
				4)	Daniel Jenkins Academy
				5)	Davenport School of the Arts

Students who live in the areas zoned for Bartow High School, Lake Wales High School, Frostproof Middle/Senior High School, Ft. Meade Middle/Senior High School, and Mulberry High School may apply to attend:

				1)	Bartow Elementary Academy
				2)	Union Academy
				3)	Summerlin Academy

Students who live in the areas zoned for the following high schools may apply to attend the International Baccalaureate (IB) High School Program in that choice area.

			a.	Students who live in the areas zoned for Bartow High, Kathleen High, Lakeland High, George Jenkins High, Mulberry High, Fort Meade High, Frostproof High and those living in the former zone for Lake Wales High may apply to attend International Baccalaureate (IB) at Bartow High School.
			b.	Students who live in the areas zoned for Haines City High, Ridge Community High, Lake Region High, Winter Haven High, Auburndale High, Tenoroc High, and Lake Gibson High may apply to attend Haines City High School International Baccalaureate (IB).

		9.	Applicants who are part of a multiple birth (twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.) will be admitted when one of them is selected for admission to the same magnet program/school through the random selection process. However, each of the multiple birth siblings must meet the eligibility requirements for the selected magnet program/school and not place the grade level over capacity. Should the grade level be at capacity, a priority will be made for the next available seat.
		10.	Magnet or choice programs/schools will advise applicants who have met the application deadline of the application outcome on or about March 30th. For applicants receiving an offer of acceptance, parents/guardians must accept or decline the admission offer into the applied for magnet or choice program(s)/school(s) within the time frame specified by the Office of Acceleration and Innovation. Failure to respond by that time shall be considered a rejection of the offer of admission to the program.
		11.	Students who are zoned by residential address and eligible to be enrolled in a District school, and will be enrolled in a grade level served by a magnet program/school, may apply for admission.
			Applications to magnet or choice programs/schools will become void upon the conclusion of the school year in which they were submitted.

			a.	Attendance or enrollment in a magnet or choice school comes with transportation based upon zones, determined by the high school serving the student's residential address. Applicants must be able to provide proof of residence within the zone of applications.
			b.	Students enrolled in a magnet or choice school, who move outside of the zones area after October 1st, may continue in that school for the balance of the school year; however, transportation will be the responsibility of the parent. Magnet and choice students who move from one (1) zone to another must reapply for the appropriate magnet school in the new zone during the next annual enrollment period. Priority from one (1) zone does not carry into the new zone.
			c.	Students who are enrolled in the following elementary schools and are eligible for promotion will move automatically into the related zoned middle magnet or choice school as listed below. For the purpose of student enrollment, these schools are treated as a single site.

				1)	Lincoln Academy into Lawton Chiles Middle Academy.
				2)	Winston Academy of Engineering into Lawton Chiles Middle Academy or Crystal Academy of Science and Engineering.
				3)	Combee Academy of Design and Engineering into Crystal Academy of Science and Engineering (Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year).
				4)	Dundee Elementary Academy into Dundee Ridge Middle Academy.
				5)	Bartow Elementary Academy into Union Academy Middle.
				6)	Brigham Academy into Jewett Middle Academy.
				7)	Bethune Academy into Daniel Jenkins Academy of Technology.

While there are no admission requirements into the magnet school, individual school sites may require parents and/or students to sign contracts of commitment and expectation.

		12.	Admission into programs is based on space availability and priorities for admission will be applied for random selection programs in the following order: Federal mandate, State law (e.g., military), Board policy (e.g., sibling), other (e.g., Memorandum of Understanding).
			If a student is retained in a grade, there is no status for that child other than that which was established during the application process. Each student is offered a seat in a specific grade of application and not to the school in general. Therefore, students who are retained do not have access in the grade of retention and must reapply to be eligible in that grade.
		13.	In the event that the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of available seats (e.g., more siblings than seats available) a random selection process will be used based on the approved enrollment process.
			Kindergarten Sibling Priority: The District has a priority of supporting families remaining together within the same school facility. Kindergarten applicants with siblings enrolled in the magnet school of application during the open enrollment period and who will be returning to that site for the upcoming school year will receive guaranteed admission for up to fifty percent (50%) of the available kindergarten seats within the school to be filled with siblings. Families must submit a sibling survey form to the school of enrollment prior to the open enrollment period. In addition, the application for the incoming kindergartner must be made during the open enrollment period.
		14.	Upon submission of a completed application by the designated deadline, students will be admitted to magnet or choice programs/schools on a random selection basis.
		15.	Student recruitment efforts shall continue in magnet and choice programs/schools until all available seats are filled.

Evaluation

		1.	Each year, District staff will review magnet application and enrollment data to assess the degree to which recruitment goals have been met. If necessary, the Superintendent will recommend appropriate strategies and/or modifications.
		2.	Each year the Superintendent will review magnet application and enrollment data.
		3.	An annual administrative review of existing magnet programs/schools shall be conducted by the Superintendent and District staff to determine the impact of magnet programs/schools on the diversity of student enrollment, academic achievement, and student attendance.
		4.	Formal evaluations of magnet programs/schools may be authorized as resources permit and/or circumstances warrant such action.

F.S. 1001.32(2), 1001.41(6), 1001.42(4),(a), 1001.43(3),(8), 1002.31

Revised 1/19/16
Revised 11/15/16