001Good evening everybody. My name is Sam Postwood. I'm the supervisor of student services here in AP Quottomic School District. Uh we certainly want to thank you for joining us tonight for our school choice presentation um for the upcoming school year. I'm going to do a couple quick introductions before we get started. Um we do have Julie Lauderball with us tonight. She's our specialist of school uh choice. We have Stacy Mintosh. She's our supervisor transportation. We have Sarah Viennto. She's our uh coordinator of world language and immersion. We have Danielle Pro Hudson, our public information officer. And Steve Greo with us tonight who is our coordinator of instructional technology. Um certainly our hope tonight is that we give you information about school choice and that we're able to answer some of your questions. Um, and without
002further ado, I'm going to turn it over to our choice specialist because she knows the most about our choice programs here at Aquamic School District. So, here we go. I'm going to hand it over to Julie. >> Hi, welcome. >> Okay. The vision of Apaconic School District is to provide a world-class education so that our students will contribute as leaders in a global society. The mission of the Aquinamic School District is to create an educational system where each student is engaged, supported, and successful. This is who we are as a district. We have 21 schools. Um, we have 2,958 students. And then it gives the staff members, our teachers, and our administration in our district. Um, at the bottom you'll see a QR code. Um, anyone that's online, if you have questions during the presentation,
003please ask um on that QR code and we will answer them at the end. School choice immersion program is a choice um application um which will open in November and we do have Spanish immersion which is at Towns and Early Childhood Center for kindergarten and then it goes to Towns and Elementary for 1st through 5th. When you're doing your choice application um in November, you do choose your kindergarten school and then your elementary school as well. Um and then this application would take you K to 8. Um and then in high school, you would do another application and you would be guaranteed a spot in one of our three high schools. Then we have Brick Mill Early Childhood Center for kindergarten and that goes to Brick Mill Elementary for 1 through 5th and then Silver
004Lake for 1 through 5th. as well. We do have a Chinese immersion program that starts at Spring Meadow for kindergarten and then goes to Old State for 1 through 5th. And this year, actually, I mean, next year, um, we'll be going to the high school. Um, and Chinese immersion is a little different than Spanish immersion. It will actually that application will take you from K2 um because that takes you right into Odessa High. Um, our immersion night, um, is for Spanish and Chinese. Um, and it will be November 12th at 6 PM at BrookMill Early Childhood Center. Um, please come out. Um, we will have teachers there. Um, we will also have students that are in the program that can show you um, what it is to be an immersion student in our district. Then
005we go to high school preview nights, um, which will be ato High on November 4th, Middletown High School on November 5th, and then Odessa High on November 6th. And all of them are at 6:00 p.m. So, the choice application process is a K to2 um application process. Um, it enrolls um, opens on November 3rd at 8:00 a.m. and closes on Wednesday, January 14th at midnight. I would tell you that it's not first come, first serve, you can put an application in on November 3rd or on January 14th, as long as you're pre-registered, you have um, put all the documents attached that are required. Your application will go in the lottery just as the person that does it on the first day. kindergarten. Um, you definitely have to be pre-registered first at your feeder school based
006on your home address. And that pre-registration started um on Monday the tw the 20th. Um the link is on our district website. You would just click on that. Make sure that you are clicking the 2627 registration um because you are registering for next fall. Um, if you have questions about pre-registration, please contact your school for help and they will help you through that process. Um, and then choice for kindergarten stays um, open until the first day of school or until the programs are full. Um, and then there is a link here for you to um, get to our website in case you um, need it. So, I'll give you a minute to take that down. So, pre-registration is um all choice students are required to have a state Delaware student ID. And that being said,
007you have to pre-register in your feeder school based off of your home address. We do have a parcel search on our district website that you can put your address in and it will tell you where your feeder school is. Um, and now this year with um, Infinite Campus, it's a little different than years past. So, you will register, let's say you're a current eighth grade student right now, you will register at 9th grade in your high school that you would be feeding to. And then if you are a um, current fifth grader, you would register at the sixth grade middle school um, as well. Any student not currently enrolled in or pre-registered in a public school in the state of Delaware must be pre-registered based off their residency. And here are our pre-registration requirements. It
008is on our district website, but I also wanted to give it to you here. Um, official birth certificate, um, driver's license, proof of residence. We definitely need a current utility bill within the last 30 days or a signed and dated lease. Um, and then your medical records with the immunization physical and then your report cards and transcripts for middle and high. Um, I would ask that once you start pre-registering that you make sure you have all your documents before you hit submit because once you hit submit, you can't upload any documents to that registration. You would have to contact the school and then have to email them. So, it's a lot easier on the school and the secretaries if you wait till you have everything to upload it. And here's how you uh apply for
009choice. So step one, you want to make sure that you're registered or pre-registered in your public school. Um that also links with your choice application. Um if that does not link, then you do not um go into the lottery in um January. So make sure you do that. Um, so it's more for kids that are in private school right now or if you're coming um into our district um from a charter school, you definitely need to pre-register because this would be just for public school kids would have that student ID. Um, if you attend a preschool in our district, you do not have to re-register. Step two is you would complete the choice application online. Um that application will be on our district website come um November 3rd at 8 a.m. and it also on
010um the school choice website for the state. Um if you don't have a computer and you need help, I would just ask you call me in advance and we would set up a time and I can walk you through the process. I'm here in um this um site between 8 and 4 Monday through Friday. Um and also we do not accept paper um applications. It all has to be electronically and here is the process um for the application. So each application has to be complete with that pre-registration and then um it requires a report card from previous year and current year attendance from previous year and current year um discipline which is an echool record um stating any or no discipline signed by your principal or counselor. Um, but if you're a current APquitamic School
011District student and you're just applying for not your feeder school, you do not need to attach report card attendance and discipline because um I look at all that information. So, please don't upload or try and put anything on those applications. It's only for out of district choice students. And then here is the link for you to apply um on our state website. And then here is our uh priority for the criteria in importance. So we have returning students who continue to meet school requirements. Siblings of students already enrolled in the school and who will be returning to the school for the following academic year. Siblings of students living in the district will be given priority over siblings not living in the district. children of employees, students living within Aquinamic School District and then students residing
012outside of the district. And then reasons for denial is either school is over capacity, students who have been suspended or expelled, and then students have who've been absent more than 15 days. And that's a combination of excused and unexcused um attendance. And then here is our instructional capacity. So this is capacity that's determined by the amount of instructional capacity and projections for the upcoming year. The district will accept school up to 85%. So here are the near capacity weight list likely. So I'm going to let you look at this list um and then we'll go on to the next list. So this lists our kindergarten, our um elementary and um our high school and where we are with our capacities. And then just so you know, this presentation will be on our district website at
013the end. So you will be able to find it there as well. And then these are our at capacity weight lists expected. Um and these are the four schools. But just know with Brick Mill early childhood center um the immersion program um will be open because we do have 54 seats in the BrickMill to Brick Mill and then Brick Mill to Silver Lake. So there'll be spots there, but this is more for regular ed. And then um our open school is Reading Middle School. And then requirements for enrollment. Once you accept, a student will be enrolled in their choice school for the grade configuration. So an example is if you apply for kindergarten just for regular ed, you would have to reapply in first grade. But if you're an immersion student, your application goes K
014to 8. So once you get in, you're here till 8th grade. Um and then it's the same as if you're leaving fifth grade, you'd have to reapply for sixth and then 8th, you'd have to reapply for 9th. Um, a students accepted for enrollment in a district shall um remain for a minimum of two years. Um, a student who fails to meet our academic requirements, that's attendance policy, our um student code of conduct. You will not be able to return to our district um the following year. We do have um a process in um January time frame. We look at all students attendance, discipline, and grades that are choice. And if we see that there's a problem then in May they'll receive a letter and they will ask to be not to come back. And then
015transportation um as you know transportation is not guaranteed for any choice student um but Stacy and transportation helps us um get spots within the feeder pattern of your choice school. Um and then they let you know by August if you've got a choice bus. Um but just know that it's not a guarantee for any choice student. Um parents are responsible for their child at the bus stop when school is dismissed early or if the opening or school is delayed. And then these are the reasons for good cause. Um mostly my good cause applications are for parents that are moving in to our district. Um you have to be living in the state of Delaware to be able to do a good cause. um and they're more that their home isn't going to be ready by
016the time school starts. So, we would let them start in their feed or school based off the good cause. But these are the other reasons as well. So, I'll take a minute and let you look at them. And then withdrawal and termination of choice. Um enrollment in a choice school will automatically end upon completion of the last grade level contained in the choice school. A parent guardian may apply to withdrawal enrollment in the district at the end of the school year. A student who fails to comply with our attendance policy. A student who fails for our academic policy. And then any student who engages in behavior that results in a recommendation of expulsion placement in an alternative educational setting or more serious um based off our uh code of conduct. So the choice invitations um
017the lottery will close on the 14th of January. Um we will go in front of the board of the middle of uh February and we have to send out our uh invitations or weight list um by February 27th. So you will receive something via email then um and then you have until March 20th to accept or reject that invitation. Um, if you do get a wait list, just know that we at Appwin School District do not give weight list numbers at all. You will be contacted by my office if you do get a spot. Um, but please do not call asking about your weight list because I will not there's no wait list number to give you, but we do have a list that we do follow. It's all electronic and if the spot becomes
018available, we'll make sure we get that out to you. So, here's the timeline. Um, it will open at 8 am. Um, January 14th is when it closes at midnight. So, I would just ask that if you're an outofd district student that you make sure you get all your required documents attached by that time because after that time your application will be withdrawn and I will send you an email that's saying, "Sorry, you did not complete your application." Um, and then for kindergarten, you definitely need to be pre-registered um by that deadline. Um, and you know, with the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, don't wait until that final week because it does take a few days for a school to enter you. Um, so you want to make sure that you get that complete before the 14th.
019And then here's when we meet with the board, um, on February 10th. Um, and then we have to make the decision by February 27th. Um, and then March 20th. And then kindergarten will stay open until we reach capacity. See, it's not going forward. So, the only other thing I do have is that um if you're trying to set up an account early for the choice application, please don't try and set it up now because before uh November 3rd, we actually delete all those those um pre, you know, applications and then you're going to have to redo it on on November 3rd. So, please don't go online and sort of try and pre-do your application. So, I guess we'll have questions. Yes. >> So the state of Delaware ID. >> Yes. >> So if if I
020if my child is currently enrolled in school district schools, >> you would not need to do it because she currently has an ID at the preschool center. >> Um >> she's at the preschool center. >> Middle school. Yep. So you would not need to do the pre-registration or attach any documents because you're currently in our district. You just have to do the application if you don't want to go to your feeder. So um that was trying to choose. So pretty much there's no choice. >> So I would tell everybody to do a choice application no matter what. I mean it is electronic lottery. We still don't know what our open seats are at this point. These are just preliminary. Um but the ones that say likely expected, they're probably going to be you're probably going
021to get a wait list. Our middle schools are at or over capacity. That's why we're building a fifth uh middle school. Um and really realistically um it's very hard to get into our middle schools. >> So what was the attendance of like a child sick? >> So sick sick and >> but we look at both and I can look at if if a kids currently in our district I look at their attendance and it says you had a sick note you're excused. >> We we look at all that. >> Yeah. questions. >> Oh, sure. >> Yes, sir. >> So, the question is, um, is MOT part of Apoquin? No, I'm sorry. They're not a part of Apoquin, but they would follow the same rules as we do. >> Yes. If you want to get if
022you're Where's your kids currently? So you would have to >> Yes. So you would have to pre-register in our district >> because you're applying for ninth, correct? >> Yep. So you would pre-register in your feeder school for ninth grade >> in our feeder school. >> So I did that. >> Yep. But now you don't have a student ID with us because you're atot. So now you have to do it with the public school. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Um I wonder if this was a timing issue. We tried to do his pre-registration in the summer by Yeah. We were just told that like we can't do anything right now, but they should be able to do something. >> So yeah. So in the summertime it's too early. We can't pre-register until the state tells us when
023we can pre-register. And that was the October 20th date. So now you can go on, just make sure you're going on to the 26 27 school year to pre-register at your feeder. >> Uhhuh. >> Yes. >> So in regards to the pre-registration, um, my daughter currently, we're in the Colonial School District. >> Okay. >> So she would have to pre-register. >> No. So she's in Colonial, so she's in a public school right now. So, she would not need to pre-register, but you would have to attach report card attendance and discipline from your previous school. >> And so, when you say the attach the report card, so how far that >> So, you're going to do your June report card >> and then you're going to get a report card in probably end of November, but
024sometimes Colonial is a little different. Sometimes it's January, so they um actually um you have to attach it right before the choice window closes. It all depends on when their timing is. >> It has to be report card. >> No, it has to be the report card with attendance and then that discipline as well. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Kind of piggy back on what she's saying. I just want to make sure. Um I enrolled my granddaughter and at um uh the school right across the street. Anyway, when I um go to do I have to pre-register? >> So, is she currently in Appaquin now? >> She's in. >> So, no. So, if she's currently in an Appaquin school district school right now, you don't have to pre-register and you don't need to put attendance, discipline,
025and grades because I can look at that because she's a current student in our district. >> Okay. So, when I go online to put out the application, will it tell me what I don't need? So, it's going to tell you you need everything, but if you read it tells you right there on the application, Apple School District students do not need to attach report card attendance and discipline. >> Okay. So, I apologize for the academic field. That includes Apple preschool center as well. >> Yes. So, as the preschool center, you already have a student ID. So, all you have to do is the application >> choice. Yep. >> So, can you is there any way you can go back to the slide for the schools at capacity cuz I don't think I caught that. I
026think I was distracted. So if you could explain that again. >> So yeah, so just the district can only accept up to 85%. So this gives you the near capacity weight list likely schools. And then the next one I I'll let you look at this one first. >> This is based on previous years. So, no, this is pre on enrollment. Now, >> and then growth. Do you need me to go to the next one? Okay. >> So, then this one's at capacity, weight list expected. >> So, these are really full schools already. >> Yep. Anyone else? Or Steve has questions. Okay. No, go ahead. >> So with the the slide before the weight list likely >> um so it could be there could be a scenario where maybe it's the middle of the school year
027and then a spot open. >> No. So the only time that the choice lottery opens up is whenever we um announce it in February for next school year. It doesn't like once we send out the list that you've either gotten in or you've gotten weight listed. We only put you in if there's spots available. Like kids decline our invitation, then there's possibly spots. >> And so after that, it wouldn't be opportunity until the following year. >> The following year, then you'd have to try again. >> Yes. >> So you would have to do the whole process again. >> Correct. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Your application after the first, you know, if you you don't get invited and you're just on a wait list in August, then you just get withdrawn from the weight
028list. Go ahead, Steve. >> All right, Julie. There were four questions submitted online. Um, the first one, it says that students are returning and continue to meet school requirements are given priority. Does that mean you need to get you have to redo choice every year or can you explain how that >> So, the choice application um is for the grade configuration. So, if you're applying for kindergarten regular ed, you're only in that with that choice application through kindergarten. Then you'd have to reapply for first grade and then also um if you get in in first through fifth, then you have to reapply again um to get into sixth and then you're in that through 8th and then in high school. But just also remember the immersion application is K to8. >> Awesome. Second question, since
029kindergarten applications are open until it's filled or school starts, when are kindergarten families notified? >> So, they'll be notified all along the process. So, once parents accept in March and then if we know we have spots, we'd start inviting then. Um, but we'd be done by mid August before school starts. >> Um, we can begin completing our pre-registration before November 3rd. Correct. >> Correct. It's open as of yesterday. Um, if our child accepts, is there a bus provided to our choice school? >> Stace, would you like to take that one? >> Is there a bus provided where? To their choice. >> Uh, we in transportation do everything that we can to uh offer a bus stop to all of our choice families. Uh, but you you're probably going to have to drive to that stop
030location that is inside of the school speeder. We have expanded some um hub stops. uh we we look at everybody that is in the area and who's looking for a school bus. So, we do everything we can, but no, it is not guaranteed. Um but what I suggest is you just reach out to the transportation department. Any one of us can help you. You give us your address and the school you're looking for and uh and we'll let you know what's available at least right now. So then you have an idea um to maybe make the decision. >> Thanks, Stace. >> Absolutely. What is transportation? >> Oh, what's your bus update? >> Yeah, the the best way to reach my entire team and then the specialist that's assigned to your school is an email address
031and it's bus update one word. K12.de us. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Any others? >> We've got two more. Uh, my son's attending 8th grade at MOT Charter. Do we need to apply through school choice to attend 9th grade at Odessa High School next year? >> So, yes, you would need to do a choice application in November, and you would want to start the pre-registration now at your 9th grade feeder school based off your home address. And you will need to attach report card attendance and discipline to your application. The last one we have coming in online. Um, do you have to apply to my feeder school? >> So, I'm guessing two parts of that. Do I need to apply at my feeder school? And do I need to apply to attend my
032feeder school? Let's talk about both those. >> Yeah. So, you don't have to apply to attend your feeder school, but if you're trying to choice and you do not have a student ID currently, you would need to pre-register at your feeder school ahead of time. Any other questions? Oh yeah. >> 10 days in eighth grade by November. >> Yes, that's fine. Yeah, you'll give us the June report card and then you'd give us a September report card. And even if it comes after September um 3rd, you can always go in and um update your application. >> Yes. June. Yep. >> Correct. Yeah. And then discipline as well. Do the good causees work the same way? >> So no, good cause is only for let's say a kid applies for good cause because they're moving in
033in September, their home's not being uh isn't ready, then that would only get them through June and then in November they'd have to reapply. Yep. So good cause is only for the grade config, you know, for that one year. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Any other questions? Well, I thank you. Oh, >> sorry. Where do you get the discipline? >> So, discipline, you would just call your counselor or your or your school. Um, Ellen atte school slides. >> The immersion school. Which one? >> The elementary. >> Keep going. Oh, right there. Yep. Good. >> Well, I appreciate you guys coming out. Um, I'm always available. I can go to my slide. Um, email me anytime if you have questions. I'm always available. And, um, I really thank you for coming out. >> Sorry. Thank
034you guys. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.