Big changes coming to school choice program in Rapides
As federal legislation changes, so does Rapides Parish School District policy, meaning some major changes will affect families with students zoned for low-performing schools.
Parents of students participating in school choice — the program that allows kids zoned to schools rated D or F to attend higher-rated schools — must reapply next month to keep their child's seat. They also must provide their own transportation.
Those are two major changes following the replacement of the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act in December.
"In Every Student Succeeds, there is no provision for school choice, so everything we did in No Child Left Behind is now gone," said Bill Higgins, director of federal programs for the Rapides Parish School District. "What we rely on now is the state law."
The Rapides school district has offered choice for years, following both federal and state laws on the program. It's a program Higgins has seen benefit students.
"For the most part, when our choice kids go into a higher-performing school, they perform better," he said.
What is Rapides doing to improve failing schools?
While NCLB required choice be offered for failing schools only, a few years ago the state called for offerings for those zoned to attend D schools as well. And that hasn't changed for Louisiana or for Rapides Parish.
What has changed is who is responsible for transportation. The federal law from 2001 required the district to provide transportation for students in choice, but the new law does not, nor does the state law, which was an opportunity for change in the district, especially in light of the cost of the program.
The new Rapides Parish School Board policy "mirrors exactly" the state law along with some provisions about attendance and behavior, Higgins said.
Now parents of "choice" students are responsible for making sure their students get to and from whatever schools their students attend. This does not affect students attending schools for which they are zoned.
About 20 current choice students at Peabody Magnet High School were "grandfathered in" by the School Board when it approved the new policy Jan. 5. They will receive transportation until they graduate.
But the other nearly 500 students have been riding buses to "choice" schools — some from the far reaches of the district.
"A fair guesstimation would be about 600 kids in choice," Higgins said. "The district provided transportation for about 500. ... We have 28 buses dedicated to choice only."
Rapides starting early on FAFSA change
How do Cenla teachers' paychecks compare?
As more outlying schools have entered choice, getting kids to school has gotten more expensive, Higgins said.
"Normally choice (transportation) runs, conservatively, about $500,000 to $600,000 a year for bus driver salaries and fuel costs," he said. "... Our transportation costs this last year were a lot higher (than they had been)."
One concern is that some families will not be able to participate with this change.
"I see this as problematic perhaps for parents with limited resources," parent Cecile Barnhart said. "I would hate to see the transportation issue discourage those parents and students from benefiting from school choice."
Higgins does expect to this to affect the number of kids in school choice in Rapides.
"I expect the numbers to drop in choice because of transportation," he said. "Some people can't do it."
While the change might be harder on parents, it will save the district money and buses at a time when many need replacing.
"That's 28 buses freed up for our district," Higgins said.
It also is not so different from other programs in the district.
"Parents whose high-schoolers participate in open enrollment already provide their own transportation, and magnet parents have to sign an intent to re-enroll form each year," parent Leigh Doty said. "It gives the schools a better understanding of who will be returning, which helps with overall planning."
Is your student's school zone changing?
Another major change parents can expect is the need to reapply every year. Under NCLB, once students were in choice, they could stay in it at the same school without more paperwork. For example, if a kindergartner zoned for a failing school chose Northwood High School instead, the family applied once and the child could stay there through senior year.
This also means parents must reapply this year, even families currently in choice. Higgins said current choice families shouldn't worry about losing their child's seat as long as they apply during the enrollment period, Feb. 15-26.
"If they do it within our deadline, there's already a seat for them at that school," he said.
But they can expect to lose that seat to another student if they miss the deadline.
"Our seats are really valuable," he said.
The last two weeks of February is time to register for choice, magnet and Montessori programs as well as open enrollment for high schools. This is intended to allow the district to figure out staffing for next year in March, Higgins said.
"We try to minimize the moving of teachers once school starts," he said. "This way everything is done in advance."
Other changes to where parents send their kids next fall could come from new zoning lines drawn and approved by the board Dec. 1. Some students might not be zoned for D or F schools anymore. And the list of "struggling" schools also has changed some, based on the most recent school performance scores from the state Department of Education.
Children enrolled in the district's 14 schools rated D or F are eligible to transfer to a school rated A, B or C if capacity allows and, now, if the parent or guardian can provide transportation. That list includes:
- Hadnot-Hayes S.T.E.M. Elementary School
- Alexandria Middle Magnet School
- Alma Redwine Elementary
- D.F. Huddle Elementary
- Martin Park Elementary
- W.O. Hall Elementary
- Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet
- Horseshoe Drive Elementary
- Lessie Moore Elementary
- Mabel Brasher Elementary
- Julius Patrick Elementary
- L.S. Rugg Elementary
- Carter C. Raymond Elementary
- Peabody Magnet High School
Families should expect to see letters, fliers and messages notifying them of these changes and of the Feb. 15-26 enrollment period. To enroll, visit the RPSB Media Center in downtown Alexandria or call 318-442-8891.