Applications are open for school choice in Beaufort County. What to know
Applications are now open for school choice, a program that lets Beaufort County students transfer to various schools in the district.
And the school district is offering new career programs at seven schools as students apply for transfers for the 2022-2023 year, the Beaufort County School District said in a press release.
The school choice program, which kicked off in 2015, allows students to transfer out of schools within their attendance zones to schools providing coursework their schools don’t offer, like language immersion classes and an early college program. Participation is free, but parents will need to provide transportation for their students.
This year, the district is adding a program called Med-Tech 7 which is a part of the district’s magnet schools assistance program. The program is available for K-12 students to “develop the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue post-secondary education and careers in a chosen field,” Beaufort County School District spokesperson Candace Bruder said Thursday. The seven schools participating in the program will have zSpace machines that allow students to incorporate virtual reality into their learning experience, she said.
The seven schools are:
- Mossy Oaks Elementary
- Lady’s Island Middle
- Beaufort Middle
- Beaufort High
- Whale Branch Elementary
- Whale Branch Middle
- Whale Branch Early College High
Students will have the chance to take coursework in Pre-Med, Biomedical Science, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science. The program will emphasize preparing students for careers in the medical and technology fields, Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in the press release.
“The addition of this program reaffirms our commitment to empowering our students to create their own educational pathways,” Rodriguez said.
Parents with no internet or access to a computer can go to any school in the district to apply in person.
Schools will continue to accept eligible applicants until they hit 90% capacity, which is the cutoff. Previously, the district took in applicants for all schools and programs despite capacity, Bruder said. That policy was changed last year when the district began using software that would permit applications only for schools that were below the capacity cutoff, she said. All applicants after a school reaches the 90% cutoff will be placed on a waiting list until a spot opens up and will be chosen based on a lottery.
Hilton Head High School, May River High School, H.E. McCracken Middle School, Pritchardville Elementary School and Bluffton High School have no availability because they are either at or above capacity, the press release said. Students at May River High School who wish to join the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program are exempted from this and may apply to Bluffton High School, the press release said.
The deadline to apply is March 31. If a student’s application is denied, appeals can be made to the student services officer via email. All applicants will be notified about acceptance by April 15.
