Darlington County School District again offers parents choices in education
In an effort to give parents more flexibility and control in the educational process, Darlington County School District is again offering districtwide Expanded School Choice.
The application period for the 2020-21 school year will be Jan. 6 through Jan. 24.
Under the Expanded School Choice program, students who reside in Darlington County may request to attend any school in the county with the exception of Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology.
Mayo High School already offers choice as part of its magnet program and is, therefore, not included in the Expanded School Choice program. Any student in Darlington County may apply for the Expanded Choice program, regardless of whether that student is currently enrolled in a public school, a private school or a home school.
Beginning Jan. 6 and running through Jan. 24, parents can submit Expanded School Choice applications to the district online. The district encourages everyone to use this method for submission. There will be limited paper applications at the district office, located at 120 E. Smith Ave. in Darlington.
On March 19, parents will receive an e-mail notifying them of their child’s spot on the waiting list, which will be created through a random lottery drawing. On June 10, parents will be notified if their child was accepted to their selected school.
Under the Expanded Choice program:
Choice selections will be based on space availability at the selected school.
Student athletic eligibility remains under S.C. High School League rules.
Transportation will not be provided for Expanded School Choice. Parents and guardians are responsible for providing transportation.
Once a child is selected to participate, Expanded Choice will remain in effect until the student completes the choice grade level.
If a child moves into the county after the request period ends, the child must attend the school to which he or she is zoned. A parent can apply during the next choice cycle.
It is not necessary for parents to complete an application for their child to attend the school for which they are already zoned and attending.
The application for the Expanded Choice Program can be found on the district’s website at www.darlington.k12.sc.us under the “For Parents” tab.
For complete guidelines, an application or more information, please contact Darlington County School District’s Office of Administration and Operations at 843-398-2269.
