Choice application deadline on April 9
Article published on Thursday, April 6, 2006 |
PINELLAS COUNTY – The Choice Plan application period for attendance area schools continues through Sunday, April 9. Applications are required for parents of students:
• Attending a public school for the first time in August 2006, including incoming kindergartners
• Entering sixth or ninth grades who do not have extended grandfathering or don’t want to use it
• Applying for another school in their attendance area (applying to another area school means a student gives up the seat in the current school and extended grandfathering).
Parents of children new to Pinellas County schools in August, including all incoming kindergartners, must register at a Family Education and Information Center before applying for school choice. Parents will need a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, proof of residency, the child’s Social Security card (optional) and, for incoming 1st- through 12th-graders, the child’s most recent report card. Visit www.pinellaschoice.org for a list of acceptable documents.
At registration, parents will receive a 10-digit student identification number to use when applying through the automated phone system.
Parents do not need to apply for students:
• Using extended grandfathering
• Granted a family preference by an FEIC
• Returning to the same school currently attended (the child automatically will be assigned to the next grade at that school).
There are a number of changes to the Choice Plan process this year. The time to apply is shorter. The application process is totally automated – there are no paper applications. Parents will make three school selections instead of five. Using the family preference has been made easier. Parents who want their child to attend the same school as another household member need to contact an FEIC. If family preference eligibility is confirmed, the child will be assigned to that school and the parent will not need to apply during the application period.
To apply by phone, call 501-0871. The automated application phone line will be available 24 hours a day during the application period. The child’s student I.D. number, date of birth, grade for 2006 and the three school choices are needed for the application. The School Choice Information Guide contains instructions for applying and the identifying numbers of each school on Pages 21 and 22. The guide is available at schools, FEIC locations and public libraries and may be viewed on the choice Web site.
Online application is available for parents of public school students currently in grades five or eight. A letter with a PIN number to use to access the application was mailed to parents of students in those grades. The online address for applications is http://apply.pinellaschoice.org.
Links to school information, including dates and times of school tours, may be found on the choice Web site.
The FEIC phone numbers are Clearwater, 298-2858, or St. Petersburg, 552-1595. The north county center is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The south county center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Article published on Thursday, April 6, 2006
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