Students may be able to choose the high school they attend depending on the success of the Open Enrollment Pilot Program at a handful of Fulton County high schools over the next two years.
The Fulton County School Board approved the pilot program in five high schools, including Johns Creek and Alpharetta high schools, allowing students to transfer into those facilities beginning in the 2009-2010 school year. The pilot program will be in place for two years, and school board members hope the program will then expand to include all high schools in Fulton County, giving students and parents a variety of options.
"This has been something we've talked about in the past, but in all honesty, it's scared off every superintendent we've ever had [prior to Supt. Cindy Loe]," said Alpharetta Board member Katie Reeves. "I think it's a really great thing for families in Fulton County."
The issue came to a head during the contentious redistricting process for the new Johns Creek High School last year, with many families upset with the forced moves to other schools. Reeves said open enrollment will mitigate many of those concerns in future redistrictings.
"This is a bold step that really has our parents, families and students' best interest at heart," said Reeves. "I think it's great and it will be interesting to see how it turns out."
The three other schools in the pilot program include Creekside, Langston Hughes and Tri-Cities high schools in South Fulton. In addition, North Springs and Riverwood high schools in Sandy Springs are eligible for open enrollment, but since these are charter schools the selection process is outlined in each school's charter.
Centennial High School was originally on the list, but removed and replaced with Alpharetta High School when enrollment figures were questioned by Roswell board member Linda Schultz.
"I'm baffled how we can have portables at Centennial and still have them on the list [for availability]," she noted during the first reading of the proposal at January's school board meeting.
Centennial is projected to be significantly over enrollment during the next two years, while Alpharetta will be at or just above its state capacity.
High schools eligible to participate in the Open Enrollment Pilot Program must have capacity in their schools for the next two years. Originally, the staff proposed setting a minimum of two classrooms available – approximately 50 open seats – for the next two years, but removed that criterion at the request of the board.
Reeves said to leave it at 50 below capacity would effectively take every North Fulton high school off the eligibility list.
"If this is to be a true open enrollment choice for North Fulton, then we need to make the transfers more manageable for the pilot years," said Reeves. "If there's room, let them go. If you say there has to be 50 spaces then there aren't going to be any North Fulton schools open. Ever."
Martha Greenway, deputy superintendent for Fulton Schools, said steps must be taken to ensure schools are not forced to take students they cannot accommodate, and therefore "disenfranchising" students already in the attendance zone. The staff did not recommend adding any more schools to the list of pilot schools.
"In general [principals] are supportive of the concept and committed to make it work successfully," said Greenway. "[But] there was unanimous consent that schools that are overcrowded should not be eligible for receipt of transfer students, even if they have some students transferring out."
In particular, schools that were provided relief through redistricting should not be refilled to the point of their previous overcrowding, she added.
Only high schools will be considered at this point for open enrollment, noted school officials, since those buildings have the most flexibility in how space is used. The school system will use the state capacity as the figure to determine if schools have the necessary room to take transfer students.
Schools are now working on providing information to students on the open enrollment process and how to submit applications.
Labels: Alpharetta, Fulton County, high schools, Johns Creek, open enrollment
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Brian Vanderhoff @ 3:48 PM
