Dr. Lavette Braswell, Family Ambassador for Cumberland County Schools, presented an overview of the district's Choice programs and enrollment timeline, saying the application window opened Nov. 18 and closes Jan. 3, 2025.

The presentation explained why the Choice program matters for county families: it lets students apply to schools and programs across the district based on interest or need rather than home address, and includes options from kindergarten through 12th grade. "Our Choice program has something for everyone," Dr. Braswell said.

Braswell summarized program types and entry points. Elementary Choice options commonly begin at kindergarten or first grade; middle school programs generally begin at sixth grade; most high school Choice programs begin at ninth grade, and some high school programs will accept students up to 11th grade. She said the Virtual Learning Academy serves K
2 and that many high-school programs are grouped by theme, including early college, career academies and arts or classical programs.

Key programs and site details listed by Braswell included Spanish and Chinese immersion at the elementary level (one immersion school is year-round at EE Miller), language-focused schools Glendale Acres (primary K') and Ashley (grades 3), a school for the arts at Mary McArthur Montessori/Cumberland Mills (primarily kindergarten), Reed Ross Classical (a year-round option), New Century International Middle School (Chinese and Spanish immersion), Mass Abbott (global studies middle school), and several high-school options including early college programs housed at Fayetteville State University. She said E.E. Smith is the district's STEAM Academy and Westover hosts health-science programming. She also described a Cumberland County Fire Science Academy housed at E.E. Smith High School where students remain enrolled at their home school for most classes but travel to Smith for fire classes.

Braswell described the early college track: students begin high school coursework in 9th grade and, by the second semester of 10th grade, are taking the majority of their college courses at Fayetteville State University. "Students usually graduate with about two years of transferable college credit," she said.

On extracurriculars and logistics, Braswell said stand-alone Choice high schools do not run their own sports programs, but students attending a Choice school may play sports at their assigned home school (for example, a Cumberland International student whose home school is Terry Sanford High School may play for Terry Sanford). She added that the early college programs provide transportation for students.

On the application process Braswell said the district uses a third-party application platform to collect applications and ensure an equitable selection process; families create an account and apply through the Choice application portal available from the Cumberland County Schools website. She emphasized that timing within the open window does not change selection odds: "There is no 'the earlier you apply, the better chance you have.' That is not how this program works," she said.

Important dates Braswell provided: the Choice application opened Nov. 18; the application deadline is Jan. 3, 2025; the district moved up notification this year and will notify families of decisions on Feb. 3, 2025; families then have two weeks to accept an offered seat. She warned that an offered seat must be accepted within that acceptance window or the offer will be rescinded: "Once a student is accepted, they must accept that seat or the acceptance goes away," she said.

The district held a Choice fair on Nov. 16 at E.E. Smith and individual schools will host Choice nights so families can get program-specific information. Braswell said program guides and links to each academy's Choice-night information are available from the Cumberland County Schools Choice webpage and encouraged staff to share contact information with families who ask.

Braswell closed by reiterating the application deadline and that the portal is open: the application will close Jan. 3, 2025, and families seeking more information should consult the Choice program page on the Cumberland County Schools website.