District extends controlled open-enrollment window, says 15 schools closed to transfers due to capacity

Okaloosa County Schools staff updated the board on the controlled open-enrollment (COE) process and said the district extended the first application window because of recent weather disruptions.

Attorney and board-staff discussion cited state law directing districts to adopt a COE plan under section 1002.31. Mr. Spolsky reviewed the schedule: the first COE window was planned to end Feb. 15 but was extended to Feb. 22 due to a winter storm; parents will receive notices on Feb. 23. The district will reopen a window in March that will remain open until school starts.

Staff said 15 schools or specific grade levels were already closed to transfers because of capacity. "If they're closed, with the exception of doing a hardship, there's no way they could go there," a board member said; district staff confirmed hardship applications are parent-initiated and handled in order received. Special consideration is given to military dependents and students in foster care; the district prioritizes students who reside inside the district over out-of-county applicants.

Staff also said principals and MIS (management information systems) staff are monitoring COE applications and will maintain a public COE capacity report on the district website. For families subject to rezoning, staff said the district will review hardship requests on a case-by-case basis and coordinate outreach to affected families.

District staff said enrollment is "about the same" overall and that kindergarten numbers were a little light while some middle-school grades were heavy; the district is tracking toward an approximately 32,000-student enrollment figure but final calculations tied to state funding (FEFP third calculation) were pending.