About School Choice

School Choice is designed to increase access to educational opportunities for all children in the state, regardless of where they live.

A parent/legal guardian residing within Delaware may apply to enroll their child in a public school in any school district, charter school, magnet school, or vocational-technical school, regardless of the student’s area of residence.

Any student not currently registered in a public school in the State of Delaware must be registered in their school of residence before submitting a Delaware Standard Application for Educational Options (Choice application).

• School Choice Governing Laws
• Christina School District School Choice Policy

Enrollment Period

A parent/legal guardian may apply to enroll their child in a school or program by submitting an application on the standard form provided by the Department of Education, on or after the first Monday in November and on or before the second Wednesday in January for enrollment in the following school year, except the parent/legal guardian may apply until the first day of the new school year for enrollment into a kindergarten program.

If a parent/legal guardian is filing an application after the State deadline, and good cause exists for the failure to meet the deadline, the parent/legal guardian can submit an application for review with supporting documentation, as stated in Title 14, c4, §402.

How to Participate in School Choice

• Step 1 – Register student in the school of residence – A school of residence is the school a student attends based on home address.
• Step 2 – Visit school websites, meetings – Parents interested in applying to schools through school choice should plan to visit to learn more about available programs, upcoming informational meetings and application requirements.
• Step 3 – Complete the standard application form – Any family seeking to choice a student into another school must complete a standard application form during the school choice application window.
• Step 4 – Choice selection – After the choice window closes, schools process applications based on state and local policy. Some schools may use lotteries. Districts and charter schools are required to follow the state’s policy for accepting school choice students. Families will be notified of their application status (approvals/disapprovals) no later than the last day of February.

How to End School Choice Participation

• A student accepted for school choice will remain enrolled in the choice school until graduation from the school building, the span of a program, or at the parent's request. To end enrollment at a choice school and return to a student’s school of residence, families must complete a school choice termination form (English, Spanish).

Transportation

Any parent/legal guardian choosing to send their child to a school other than their school of residence shall be responsible for transporting their child, without reimbursement, to/from the Choice school or the nearest regular bus stop serving the Choice school, if space is available.

Please contact Transportation Services at 302-454-2281 to find the nearest choice bus stop location.

Athletics

The rules of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) shall be followed with regard to the eligibility of transferring students. For a copy of the DIAA handbook, please visit the DIAA website or call 302-857-3365.