District to provide transportation for school choice — again
Students opting for a better school through the school choice program will have a ride, despite policy changes made last month.
In January the Rapides Parish School Board approved a new policy about the program that allows kids zoned to schools rated D or F to attend higher-rated schools. It did not include any provision for transportation, which would save the district the about $500,000 to $600,000 that is spent annually on bus driver salaries and fuel costs getting about 500 students to better-rated schools. The new policy was a response to change in federal legislation.
After the Every Student Succeeds Act replaced the No Child Left Behind Act in December, the district approved a new policy that "mirrors exactly" the state law, Act 853 of 2014, along with some provisions about attendance and behavior, said Bill Higgins, director of federal programs for the Rapides Parish School District.
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"In Every Student Succeeds, there is no provision for school choice, so everything we did in No Child Left Behind is now gone," Higgins said in January. "What we rely on now is the state law."
The new policy meant two major changes for parents of students in school choice. They must reapply each year to keep their child's seat and provide their own transportation. The changes were advertised in the media before the applicant period at the end of February.
But after "mutual communication" with the state, district officials reached out for a legal opinion on what is still required. But regulations adopted by the state Department of Education, Bulletin 111 of 2004, requires transportation for choice students coming from F-schools. And district officials were told that law remains in effect until state officials have time to address it, said Arthur Joffrion, executive assistant superintendent.
So officials brought two options to the board Tuesday — to provide transportation for students in choice coming from D- and F-schools, which the district has done for two years, or for those coming from F-schools only, recommending the latter.
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While a few board members favored the recommended option, several questioned whether that was good for the students.
"We're going to give you a choice (of schools) but no way to get there?" Steve Berry asked. "That's not really a choice."
John Allen called for the board to treat D- and F-schools the same as their students face similar challenges. Darrell Rodriguez voiced concern about students traveling from rural areas of the district being without another option for transportation.
The board voted 7-2 to provide transportation for both D- and F-schools, an action it could have taken when approving the new policy in January. It passed then with no passionate discussion like that expressed Tuesday.
"The board was not required to offer it to students at D-schools but chose to," Joffrion said.
"That shows a strong commitment to kids," Higgins said.