1994 Guiding Principles

• Maintain or establish as many contiguous community school districts as possible
• Provide equity for all children in the effects of reassignment
• Keep neighborhoods intact, as much as possible
• Minimize distances children must travel to school
• Provide as much stability as possible to avoid frequent adjustments in the plan
• Meet the parameters established by the school board for the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic mix of student populations in the schools
• Include grandfather clauses for students nearing completion of their education from a particular school
• Provide opportunities for community involvement

(Guiding principles presented at August 11, 2011 work session): and again April 2016

2011 Guiding Principles - Student Assignment (Non-Magnet)

• Utilize school facilities effectively (at least 85% utilized)
• Promote diversity
• Consider K-12 feeder pattern
• Consider student stability
• Consider levels of transportation available
• Consider impact on student performance

2011 Guiding Principles - Magnet Programs

• Utilize school facilities effectively (at least 85 % utilized)
• Promote school diversity
• Provide diverse and relevant program offerings throughout the district that meet student interest and provide expanded learning opportunities
• Consider K-12 feeder pattern
• Consider levels of transportation available
• Consider program continuity across grade levels
• Consider impact on student performance

Popular Reason for Considering Choice

• Innovation and revitalization
• Voluntary integration
• Necessity to provide diversity in schools
• Traditional lack of responsiveness to the concerns of parents and students
• Difficulty of reforming public schools
• Attraction of market-driven system
• Improved student achievement
• Improved student, parent, and teacher satisfaction
• Increased parent involvement
• Collegiality and professionalism
• Improved and shared accountability
• Pressure for school improvement at all schools

Problems Associated with Choice

• Resegregation can occur without controls
• A true choice program is expensive
• Uncontrolled recruiting of students and staff can result in “creaming” the best from non-magnets
• Jealousy from non-magnet schools
• Without controls, parents can manipulate the system
• Perception of curricular, staffing, and student superiority can develop
• Curricular balance and student equity problems
• Loss of neighborhood schools