2023-2024 Controlled Open Enrollment Plan

The Florida Legislature recognizes the value of an educational system that provides numerous and meaningful options for students and their parents. In order to promote and encourage parental involvement and ensure students have access to a school that meets their needs, the Florida Legislature enacted Section 1002.31, Florida Statutes , which directs each school district to develop a controlled open enrollment plan. A controlled open enrollment plan allows school districts to make student school assignments considering parents’ indicated preferential school choice as a significant factor. Legislation also provides for a hardship process and an appeals process to be put into place, as part of a controlled open enrollment plan.

Appeals can be made based on the outcome of the School Choice lottery. For more information on this process and timeline visit the 23-24 Controlled Open Enrollment Plan.

When a parent/guardian feels that a school choice hardship consideration is appropriate, the parent/guardian may submit a hardship request to be considered for attendance at a school other than the student’s home-zoned school. An application may be submitted to be reconsidered for attendance at a school other than the student’s home-zoned school. You can only make one (1) choice on the application. 

Please be sure to read the directions carefully prior to submitting.  If you applied during the school choice window and were waitlisted submitting a hardship application for the same school/program will not change the outcome.  The hardship application will be cancelled.

If you submit a hardship application where supporting documentation is required, not providing information will result in the hardship application being declined. 

Important information to be considered before completing your application:

Hardship requests are reviewed by the committee on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. See the review schedule below:

Such determination(s) shall be based upon factors which include without limitation the District’s Open Enrollment plan, applicable State and Federal law, and School Board Policy. The student must remain enrolled at his/her current/home-zoned school until the applicant has received the determination of the team. An email notification with the outcome will be sent to the email address on file. The determination of the team is final.

• Transportation is not provided to students on School Choice.
• If your student was accepted into a magnet school or program this is a choice option, and as such, transportation is not provided unless the school is your zoned school and you live two miles or more from the school. Students attending their zoned school and who live two miles or more from the school will be provided neighborhood stops. Elementary students living less than two miles from the school who have hazardous walking conditions as defined in Florida Statute 1006.23 will also be provided transportation. Students living outside the boundary may not use existing stops within the boundary. Hub stops may be provided for students living outside the boundary; however, there is no guarantee that hub stops will be provided. If provided, hub stops will generally be located at district school sites. The location and number of hub stops available will be determined by the district. If hub stops are listed by the school, these are the current hub stops planned for the school. No additional hub locations will be provided besides those listed. If a hub location does not have sufficient interest or ridership, it may not be implemented or continued. If hub stops are not listed by a school, this indicates there will not be a hub stop. Parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from the designated hubs or directly to the school. . Hubs - Parents - Final Hubs 23-24 (002).docx
• Hardships granted as a result of an address change occurring during the 2023-2024 school year will only be valid through the end of the 2023-2024 school year, and not through the highest grade served. Students must reapply for School Choice for the 2024-2025 school year during the School Choice Controlled Open Enrollment Window.
• All Pasco County schools are monitored for class size availability. Not all grade levels are available at the schools listed on the School Choice Hardship Application.
• Approval to attend a school outside of a student’s zone can be rescinded due to poor attendance, grades or behavior or if a student withdraws from a program (such as IB) upon which the approval was based. District consideration of choice applications and hardship requests includes without limitation a review of the District’s Open Enrollment Plan, applicable State and Federal Law, and School Board Policy. For more information on School Choice, please visit our website at http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/ed_choice.
• A student must be entering kindergarten and be five (5) years old on or before September 1 of the current school year to be eligible for School Choice reassignment. Pre-K students are not eligible. 

For more information on the School Choice Controlled Open Enrollment Plan-Hardship Request, please review the Controlled Open Enrollment Plan.  The preferences outlined below will not be applied for Pre-K hardship requests. Per the document, hardships under this request process include the following:

• Military Orders
• Foster Care Placement/Adoption 
• Medical and/or psychological matters; 
• Legal or law enforcement matters;
• Sibling consideration
• New Employee or employee transfer
• Student Displacement Due to School Boundary Reassignments or Overcrowding 
• Opportunity and other State Scholarship Programs.
• Any other circumstances demonstrating a hardship.
• A student withdraws from a program or course of study that was the underlying basis for attending the School of Choice, and the parents want their child to return to the School of Choice. Upon withdrawal from the program or course of study, the student will return to their regularly zoned school until otherwise transferred through the next upcoming School Choice Controlled Open Enrollment Plan’s application process.

***Hardship applications received due to a move/change of address when possible will be approved for the remainder of the current school year. Families must reapply for school choice during the Controlled Open Enrollment Window for the 2024-2025 school year for consideration to remain at that school.

The Hardship Application can be accessed in the parent portal of the myStudent system.  In the student menu, you will find the application under reach respective student.  A confirmation email to the email address on file will be sent when the application has been submitted successfully. Applications can only be submitted through the parent portal. As a reminder, only one (1) choice can be requested.  Computers are available at schools or at a public library, and assistance will be provided as a reasonable accommodation to those with a disability. If assistance is needed with the application process, contact the district office at pascopathways@pasco.k12.fl.us.

The school choice waitlists are maintained for the entirety of the school year.  The waitlists are reviewed on a quarterly basis.  School, grade level, and program capacity is reveiwed prior to the beginning of each marking period.  Parents/guardians will be notified via email in waitlist order if capacity exists. When possible students would transition at the beginning of the new marking period to minimize any academic impact.  Waitlist information is visible in the parent portal of myStudent under school choice. **Note- sibling preference is not guraranteed when students are being offered a seat due to the waitlist being exercised.

Important dates are listed below.