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Martin County School District explains school-choice acceptance window, registration steps and TDAP requirement
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Summary
The district’s podcast advised families who applied for school choice that they have 10 days to accept offered seats (deadline April 16 for March 31 applicants), outlined FOCUS registration steps and documents required, described the waitlist process, and reminded families that seventh-graders must have TDAP on file per state law.
Kirsty Germaine, host of the Martin County School District podcast All in Martin, and Mark Cowles, the district’s coordinator of executive initiatives, walked families through next steps for school-choice applicants, including the narrow acceptance window, registration requirements and health documentation.
Cowles said families who applied by the March 31 priority deadline received an email notification and have 10 days to accept any offered seat. “You have 10 days to accept a seat,” Cowles said, adding that “the deadline for the accepting of the seat is coming up tomorrow, April 16,” for those priority applicants. He emphasized that receiving a notification (first, second or third choice) does not complete enrollment until the family accepts the seat and completes district registration.
The district advised families who did not receive a notification to contact the Office of School Choice immediately: call (772) 219-1200, ext. 30248; email choice@martinschools.org; or submit a request through the district’s "Let’s Talk" feature on martinschools.org. Cowles said that once a family accepts a seat, the receiving school typically reaches out and staff will ask families to complete the new student registration form in the district portal (FOCUS) and upload required documents such as a birth certificate and proof of residency.
Cowles described the waitlist process for families who were waitlisted: if accepted families decline, seats can open and the district will notify waitlisted families by email; those families must accept the seat when notified to begin registration. For families who miss their 10-day acceptance window, the hosts said the practical next step is to reapply through the school-choice application process, though availability varies by site.
Hosts also reminded families to keep contact information current (email, phone and address) in FOCUS so schools can reach them. Cowles noted the district will rely on those records for important communications rather than social media pages.
On health requirements, Cowles and Germaine reminded families that rising seventh-graders must have an up-to-date tetanus/TDAP vaccine record on file. Germaine said the TDAP requirement "is according to state law," and the district urged families to confirm that documentation is uploaded during registration.
The podcast closed with a reminder that the Office of School Choice and school staff are available to help families through the FOCUS registration process and a note of thanks to listeners. For help, the district repeated the Office of School Choice contact: (772) 219-1200, ext. 30248; choice@martinschools.org; or the Let’s Talk feature at martinschools.org.
