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Board reviews school-choice options for 'priority' schools, discusses report-card timing and attendance concerns
Summary
Staff outlined options for families at schools designated as 'priority' (D or F on state report card): remain, transfer within the district, transfer to another district if space allows, or enroll in a nonpublic school (tax credit eligibility discussed). Staff also described delays in the state report-card release and rising chronic absenteeism.
State Department staff briefed the board on school-choice options for parents whose children attend schools designated as “priority” under the state report-card framework (priority = D or F rating).
Miss Washington (department staff) told board members the department had notified superintendents of priority-school designations following the report-card calculation and that schools and parents must be given choice options. She summarized the four options for families for the upcoming school year: 1) remain at the priority school; 2) transfer to another school within the same district (if that option is offered); 3) request admission to a school in another district, which must be approved by the receiving superintendent and is contingent on space; or 4) enroll the child in a nonpublic school, where families may be eligible for a tax-credit scholarship under state law.
Washington said districts were required to notify parents (the staff referenced January notification) and to provide application/choice forms; she said districts must send copies of those forms back to the department so staff can track transfers and counts. She confirmed transportation is the responsibility of the local district for intra-district transfers and that state funds follow the student if the student transfers to another district. The department told the board the parent form deadline is March 1; districts must follow up with families who do not return forms to ensure choices are captured.
Separately, State Superintendent Eric Mackie and staff discussed the timing of the state report card this year. Mackie said a small set of districts requested and received reopening of the data portal to correct data errors late in the cycle; the department reopened the portal to allow districts to fix data, which delayed the statewide release by roughly four weeks. Mackie said the department will work to return to an earlier November release in future years.
Board members expressed concern about chronic absenteeism, which Mackie described as elevated in many districts; he said some districts had rates “over 30%” for chronic absence (defined in the discussion as missing 10% or more of school days). Board members and staff discussed attendance as a key driver of low report-card results; the department said supports for priority schools will be aligned with indicator-level needs.
Why it matters: Priority-school designation triggers family-choice options and additional state support; timing and accuracy of report-card data influence designation and available remedies. Chronic absenteeism was discussed as a pervasive challenge affecting student learning and school ratings.
What’s next: Districts were asked to submit choice forms and counts; the department said it will coordinate supports for the expanded list of priority schools and continue work to improve data-verification processes and attendance interventions.
