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Members of the task group make the following observations about the district’s school choice program.
- There is an exceptional amount of choice within the school district.
- There is, however, less external choice than exists in some school districts: placement in programs outside of the school district is by referral and approval, not generally by student or family choice.
- There is more school choice at the elementary level.
- In some cases, the current system reinforces segregation because those families who make use of the school choice program have the educational and socioeconomic ability to do so. In other cases, the program increases diversity, especially when a neighborhood school has choice programs (e.g., Kelly, daVinci, and Yujin Gakuin).
- There is a lack of stability in funding for small neighborhood schools.
- Enrollment in alternative schools is capped allowing them to predict enrollment and funding, while neighborhood schools’ enrollment may vary from year to year.
- District-wide, neighborhood schools are losing enrollment while alternative schools are increasing slightly.
- Alternative school enrollment is by lottery while neighborhood schools accept all students.
- Neighborhood schools tend to have programs in them for high need students (e.g., special programs, regional learning centers for students with disabilities, and homeless students) while alternative schools do not.
- There are regional differences in the number of alternative schools. For example, in the South Region there are eight alternative programs, in the North Region there are four, in the Sheldon Region four, and in the Churchill Region there are five.
- Most programs of choice in 4J focus on traditional educational programs. Alternative schools may not offer a true "alternative" because neighborhood schools have embraced many of their practices.
- Currently, parents recruit schools rather than schools recruiting students.
- High SES schools are able to raise money for staffing to provide additional services while other low SES schools are not.
- Transportation is not provided to alternative schools unless students are placed there as a part of a special education program.
- There is a perception of inequity between neighborhood and alternative schools.
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