Choice Schools and You…Questions Answered about Controlled Open Enrollment
As parents you awaited Spring Break fun and the results of the Palm Beach County School District Choice application results, only to find your student in the …Wait Pool. Announcements were made March 29th, and there were so many disappointed parents and guardians that found their student placed in the “Wait Pool” for their first Choice school.
However, I’m here to herald some hope with the Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) period beginning April 2nd and closing April 30th. Regardless of your current address, students may apply to a COE school (Check the list!) in any county in the state. Results of COE will be posted on May 11th .
What is COE?
Two years ago Controlled Open Enrollment came about through a bill the Governor signed, which gives students the opportunity to apply for and attend a school outside their regular attendance zone. If your child resides in the state of Florida, he or she may choose to submit an application for any school district school, barring the student is not subject to expulsion or suspension. If your current (primary) address is in Palm Beach County, you may now apply to a school on the COE list in a neighboring county such as St. Lucie or Broward or any other Florida county.
What schools are in the 2018-19 COE?
There are currently 52 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 8 high schools listed for COE in Palm Beach County. Of those elementary schools, only a handful are located in the greater Delray Beach/Boynton Beach area, including Banyan Creek Elementary and Crystal Lakes Elementary. To grab a copy of the complete list, visit https://www.palmbeachschools.org/choiceprograms/controlled-open-enrollment/.
Do I need to submit an application for COE, or will my first choice application suffice?
Controlled Open Enrollment has its own selection process, separate from Choice. Yes! Apply now and select your COE school for your student. If more applications are submitted for a certain school than seats (being filled), a random computerized lottery will be conducted to assign the seats to students that have applied for a COE seat.
Does this mean they will be pulled from their first Choice Wait Pool?
The answer is no. Students applying will NOT jeopardize their spot in line by applying for a COE school. Controlled Open Enrollment, thankfully, cohesively bonds with Choice Schools and is run by the same Choice department conducting the lottery.
Does this include K3 and K4VPK?
Sadly, no. The COE application process starts with students entering Kindergarten.
Will transportation be provided for COE students that receive a spot? No transportation will be provided for COE students.
To Apply for COE, please visit the Choice Application site, https://mypbchoiceapp.com/apply/ and choose the “Apply for Controlled Open Enrollment Tab” by using your current Choice Login.
For more information about Controlled Open Enrollment, visit the Palm Beach County School District site https://www.palmbeachschools.org/choiceprograms/controlled-open-enrollment/. All questions submitted to choicequestions@palmbeachschools.org are typically answered quickly and thoroughly.
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