Here are the important things
about School Choice for Dover and Wardsboro
POLICY, FAQ, TIMELINE AND MORE
CODEF31
INTRA
DISTRICT
SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM
FOR ELEMENTARY
The River Valleys Unified School District places students in the
District’s schools based
on a student’s town of residence. Transportation is provided
for PK-6 students attending
a school within the town of residence.
To accommodate occasions when
a student might benefit from
placement
in a school outside a PK-6 student’s town of residence, it
is the policy of the River Valleys
Unified School District to
offer students the option to enroll in a school of their choice within the District.
Processes for
intra-district
choice of school will
be guided by the needs of students,
space
availability,
and
existing resources.
The
Superintendent
of Schools will develop
procedures consistent
with the following guidelines:
● Requests to attend a school in another
town within the River Valleys Unified School District will be granted based on space availability and
with the goal of enhancing
student opportunities in the best interest of students.
Requests may be denied if the request would have a
negative impact on class size or staffing at the sending school
● Regardless of residence, every
family
will have a choice of enrolling
in any grade-level appropriate
school
operated by
the District
·
Transportation to PK-6 buildings
will be provided for students
attending school within one’s town of residence.
For students choosing to
attend school in a neighboring town, transportation
is not provided by the River Valleys Unified School
District, unless utilizing existing bus route to
or from the choice school
and there is sufficient
space on the bus route.
● Younger
siblings entering
school after a child
who has
exercised
school choice may attend
the same home school as his or
her older sibling.
● School choice does not apply
to non-resident students.
·
A parent who disputes the determination
made by the Superintendent in accordance with the above process is entitled to
request Board review of the decision. The Board’s determination will be
considered final.
● School Choice
procedures will be listed in school handbooks
and updated and published
by March
1stannually.
Date Warned: _________
Date Adopted: _________
Date Reaffirmed: _________
Date
Reviewed: _________
Legal Reference(s):
Cross Reference:
PROCEDURES CODED
42
INTRA DISTRICT SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY
Guidelines
and Procedures
Guidelines:
● Requests to attend a school in another
town within the
River Valleys Unified School District will be granted based on space availability and
with the goal of creating
balanced class sizes in all schools.
● Regardless of residence, every
family
will have a choice of enrolling
in any grade-level appropriate
school
operated
by the
district.
·
Transportation
to PK-6 buildings
will be provided for students
attending school within one’s town of residence.
For students choosing to
attend school in a neighboring town, transportation
is not provided by the River Valleys Unified School District, unless
utilizing existing bus route to or from the choice school and there
is sufficient space
on the bus route.
● Younger
siblings entering
school after a child
who has
exercised
school choice may attend the same
home school as his or her
older sibling.
Procedures:
Town of Residence Assignment
All
students
will be assigned to the school
in their town of residence
School Choice Program
Prior to the start
of the intra school district school
choice program, the Superintendent will
announce how many openings exist
at each school and each grade level
for the next school year. The
number
of available slots
will be determined based on the
following criteria:
x Space
available in the building
x Space
available in each
grade level
x Right Sizing Classes with Class
Size
Guidelines
Optimal
Educational Environment
(In
order
to achieve optimal class size, the District
in the spring of the preceding
school
year, the Administration may
solicit requests to balance
class sizes across the district in a given grade
level.)
Parents
will then submit the Intra school District School Choice
Election form by
the annual deadline. Slots will be awarded as
follows:
1. Younger
siblings of existing
school choice participants may be assigned
to the same school as the older sibling. This only
applies to the K-6 program.
2. Individuals
on the wait list from the
year prior
3. In
the event there are
more requests than there is remaining space available, a lottery system will
be used to select participants to
fill open spots.
Waitlists
● The River Valleys Unified School District will create waitlists
for all schools where there are
more applicants than available seats for a particular grade.
● A student’s place
on the waitlist is based on a lottery for all choice
applications received
prior to the deadline.
● When seats become
available,
students will be assigned
from wait lists based
on the order the children
were selected in the lottery,
and the priorities.
● From mid-March
through mid-August, as space becomes
available, children
are
automatically moved off the waitlist
into
their chosen school. Families receive
notification
about their new school
assignment with a letter sent in
the mail.
● Families interested
in school choice who submit an application after the deadline
will be placed at the
end of the waitlist.
School Changes
In extenuating
circumstances, school changes
mid-year
will be considered on a case
by case basis. Parents
should apply through the WCSU central office.
Length of Placement
Once a student is placed, they
shall remain at the choice school
until Grade 6. Requests
to return to the school in the town of the student’s residence
will be considered as
a part
of the next year’s
intra
school district school choice program.
Once school choice is elected
the school
in the student’s town of residence becomes
a choice school and the school of placement becomes the
student’s home school.
This plan
will
be reviewed
and may
be modified
yearly
and any changes to the guidelines
will be completed
by February 1st of subsequent years.
K-6 Intra District
School Choice Program
Frequently
Asked
Questions (FAQs)
What is school choice and who
is allowed to
exercise school choice?
Children entering gradesK-6who live in
the towns of
Dover and Wardsboro may exercise
school
choice. Our goal is
to both allow
options for families and
also make balanced
class
sizes to
provide
a positive
learning
environment for
all of our children. Parents may apply
for choice in
any of the K through
sixth grade schools. Given
space
availability, we
will
work to
meet as many families’ needs
as possible. By
exercising a local school choice
options we
can:
x Create
balanced
class
sizes
in all schools
x Eliminate,
combine
or divide too
small
or
too large
classes
x Create
optimal learning environments in
all schools
x Meet
diverse needs that parents
and families have
for their children
x Provide
options
Who gets school choice?
School choice will
be limited to
the amount of available space
in each
building. If
you are interested in
choosing a school other than the one
located in
your
town, you complete and submit the
school
choice
form. Once
we receive
all the applications, we will assign students. If there
is more interest in
one particular
school than
spaces
available, we will conduct
a lottery.
Does this mean
that
one of our schools will
close? There are
no current plans
to close any schools.
Will my
child
be able to attend this same
school
for all of his/her elementary
years? Your child will be
able
to attend
the same school
and continue
through
the highest grade offered
at that school.
If we exercise school choice and we
have younger child(ren), will
he or she also be able to
attend
the choice school? Younger siblings entering
school after a child
who has exercised
school
choice
may attend the same
school
as his or her older
sibling.
We will make every effort
to meet the
needs of families
so children
in the
same
family can
enroll in
the
same school-both
younger
and older siblings.
My
child
is currently attending
one particular school and we
feel
a change of schools would
be in
his/her best
interest, we
would
like
school
choice next
year. School choice
is extended
to all
students K-6 next year.
What do we do if ,after
a year or two of exercising school
choice,
we want to change back
to our original
school? In future years
we hope to continue
school
choice, and you
would
re-apply for
school
choice
for
your hometown school.
Choice will be provided if
space
is available.
If more children want
to exercise school choice
than spaces available who
get
spriority? First priority goes to children who
live in
the home-based geographic area
of a school. If parents
list
a choice school that
is not
in their
home-based
geographic
area, and there
are
more
children
interested than
spaces
available,
the school will
conduct
a lottery.
Once school choice
is established,
siblings will
be given priority for school choice.
Please
referto
the school choice guidelines
for
more
information.
Who will my
son/daughter's teacher be? At this
point we
have not made teacher
assignments for any
of our classes.
Once we receive all applications,
teachers
will be assigned based on numbers.
We will send out
classroom teacher assignments to
elementary
families in
late spring.
Is teacher
teaching
grade at school
next year? Please see the building principal for information about teacher
placement.
What
if I miss the
deadline for
school choice?
We will honor
requests
for school choice after
the deadline
only
if there
is space
available
on a first come, first served
basis.
How will I know if
my child got their
first choice
school? We will
notify
parents of their
school
by May via
email.
Parental
School
Choice Program for Elementary School in The River Valleys Unified
School District
Timeline
For
the following school bases:
Dover Wardsboro
DATES:
March 1st
The River Valleys Unified School District Elementary communicate
to parents the availability
of school
choice and where to access information if
they wish to apply
for school choice
March
Parent(s) or guardian(s)
fill
out a school choice form
for each
child-indicate school of choice, and
include a brief letter
of explanation
why you
are requesting
school
choice, and
return the form
·
By
mail– The River Valleys Unified School District,1219 VT Route 30, Townshend VT,
05353 ATTN:Meg Wright,
·
in person
to the Windham Central Supervisory
Union Office
· or
via email to the rvchioce@windhamcentral.org
March
31st
School Choice applications due.
If parents want to exercise
school choice, all forms
are due either
via mail, dropped off in person at the
WCSU -River Valleys Unified School District
office, or via email
May 1st
Schools will
mail letters to
parents/guardians
explaining
the school choice placement for their
child and general
information and
timelines for their son/daughter’s individual school.
August
1st
Teacher assignment
will occur within each
school and letters will be
sent home with the teacher placement.
The River Valleys Unified
School District INTRA DISTRICT
SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM FOR
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
CLICK HERE to print the application form only. Make sure your printer is ON.
Application
Form
Parent(s) or guardian(s)
fill
out a school choice form
for each
child-indicate school of choice, and
include a brief letter
of explanation
why you
are requesting
school
choice, and
return the form
Due: March 31st_____
Submit completed
form:
·
by mail– The River Valleys Unified School
District,1219 VT Route 30,
Townshend VT, 05353 ATTN:Meg Wright,
·
In person
to the Windham Central Supervisory
Union Office
·
or via email
to the rvchoice@windhamcentral.org
STUDENT INFORMATION:
Please Circle grade child
will
be entering
in the fall:
K 1 2 3 4 5 6
First____________________Middle Last _________________
Current Mailing
Address:
PARENT/GUARDIAN
INFORMATION:
Parent/Guardian#1
Name: Relationship:
Preferred Email:
Home Phone: Cell Phone: Work Phone:
Physical and
Mailing address
(if different from
student):
Parent/Guardian#2
Name: Relationship:
Preferred Email:
Home Phone: Cell Phone: Work Phone:
Physical and
Mailing address (if different
from student):
Student lives with: Parent/Guardian
#1_________Parent/Guardian #2________Both
SIBLING INFORMATION:
Name(s) ________________________________________DOB__ __________
Name(s) ________________________________________
DOB_____________
Name(s) _________________________________________DOB_____________
Name(s) _________________________________________
DOB_____________
What will be
your current
town
of residence
for
the upcoming
school
year (circle one)?
Dover Wardsboro
What is your
school
of choice for the upcoming school year (circle one)?
The Dover School
Wardsboro Elementary School
Approved: ___________________
Adopted: ___________________
