South Florida School District Programs
Broward County Public Schools
Broward County Public Schools offers a variety of educational options for students. Students are assigned to public schools based on attendance zones which are based on the address of their parent or legal guardian. School boundaries are established annually and approved by the School Board of Broward County in accordance with Florida Statutes and School Board Policy. If a student would like to attend a school other than their assigned school they can apply for a reassignment. Students must be enrolled in and attending their assigned Broward County public school in order to be considered for reassignment. Parents must complete a Student Choice/Reassignment Form available at all schools in order to be considered for reassignment. The District does not provide transportation for reassignments.
Broward County Public Schools offers the following public school choices for students:
- Satellite Learning Centers partner elementary schools with museums, galleries, and performing arts centers in Broward County. The program objectives are to improve students’ academic skills in reading and writing, attendance, awareness of cultural events in the community, and knowledge about the specific themes and focus of the satellite centers.
- Dual Enrollment, in partnership with Broward Community College, gives high school juniors and seniors a unique opportunity to receive college credit.
- Gifted programs are designed to meet the unique talents and abilities of gifted learners.
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a rigorous two-year pre-university course of studies, leading to examinations, that meets the needs of highly motivated secondary students.
- Nova Programs establish a learning community in which kindergarten through post-secondary students receive the highest quality education, receive preservice and inservice professional development opportunities, and participate in educational research and development projects.
- Magnets Programs offer students unique opportunities for in-depth experiences and study in specific areas of interest. Each magnet program emphasizes a specialized theme.
- Charter Schools are public schools with specific achievement goals that are operated privately.
- Dropout Prevention Programs serve students at-risk of dropping out of school. Programs are offered at traditional school sites and special centers throughout the District.
For information about the programs above, please contact Broward County Public Schools at:
| Website: http://www.browardschools.com/ |
| Main District Office: (754) 321-0000 |
| Reassignment Office: (754) 765-6285 |
| Charter Schools: (754) 712-1531 |
| Magnet Programs: (754) 765-6613 |
| Supplemental Academic Instruction/Dropout Prevention: (754) 768-8903 |
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Due to the diversity of the area, Miami-Dade County Public Schools offers a wide array of educational options for students and families. The District assigns students by residence and offers several public school choice programs. The District was awarded a five-year grant under the Federal Voluntary Public School Choice Program which will be the foundation for a comprehensive restructuring of the choice programs within Miami-Dade County. The District will be divided into eight Choice Zones, each populated with a broad selection of high quality themed choice programs. With the grant, parental choice will be greatly expanded by providing a broad array of educational opportunities and increased transportation service for schools within specified Choice Zones.
The choice programs that are currently available in Miami-Dade County Public Schools are:
- Charter Schools which are public schools that are privately operated or organized typically by a nonprofit organization.
- Magnet Schools/Programs offer unique courses of study focusing on students’ special interests, talents, and abilities. A variety of magnet schools/programs are available to students under the following six themes of study: Careers and Professions, Communications and Humanities, International Education, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Montessori, and Visual and Performing Arts.
- Commuter School at ADA Elementary School is scheduled to open in 2003-2004. The Commuter School will not have traditional attendance boundaries, rather students whose parents work nearby, such as in downtown Miami or the Brickell area, will be able to enroll.
- National Academy Foundation (NAF) Academies are career academies that prepare high school students for careers in finance, travel and tourism, and information technology through a theme-based, curriculum approach.
- Satellite Learning Centers are public schools at the workplace. The business provides the classroom space and related operational services at their facility and the school system provides the teachers, instructional materials, and related educational program services.
For information about the programs above, please contact the Miami-Dade County Public Schools at:
| Website: http://www.dadeschools.net/ |
| Main District Office: (305) 995-1000 |
| School Choice and Parental Options: (305) 995-1922 |
Monroe County Public Schools
The Monroe County School District developed a school district choice plan in January, 2003. Under the Monroe County School District’s School Choice Plan, parents who wish to enroll their child in a school that is not in their resident attendance area must complete an application form by March 7th of each school year. For those students who are already attending a Monroe County school that is not in their resident attendance area, parents must complete an Intent to Remain form by the same date. Application forms and Intent to Remain forms are available at all Monroe County schools and the District Administration Building. Forms should be submitted to the school of Choice by the March 7th deadline.
Enrollment at a school outside the resident attendance area is dependent upon space available in the classroom. Transportation to a choice school is not provided unless space is available on an existing bus route.
There are twelve regular public schools located throughout the Florida Keys as well as three charter schools. For more information about the Monroe County School District, contact:
| Website: http://www.monroe.k12.fl.us/ |
| Main District Office: (305) 293-1400 |
| Transportation: (305) 293-1478 |
Palm Beach County Public Schools
The School District of Palm Beach County has a controlled open enrollment method of student assignment. The plan divides the District into five large geographic Choice Areas, each containing multiple elementary, middle, and high schools. A student’s home residence will determine both the boundaried school to which the student is assigned and which set of schools among the five Choice Areas are available for parental choice. Transportation is provided by the District for students who attend a school in their Choice Area. Students will also be allowed to choose a school outside of their Choice Area, but District wide magnet schools are not included and transportation will not be provided by the District. Parents and students will list their preferences, in rank order, either for their boundaried school or for other regular schools. Students will be assigned either to their boundaried school or a choice school based on school capacity and physical space.
The School District of Palm Beach County offers the following education choices to students and parents in the District:
- Alternative Education Choice Programs provide distinctive learning experiences for at-risk students.
- High School Career Academy Choice Programs provide students with a unique opportunity for in-depth training and education in specific career areas of interest. Each academy is designed around a theme, which represents a cluster of occupations.
- Charter Schools are public schools operated by private, nonprofit organizations. They function independently from the school district.
- Choice Options are programs designed to increase educational choice by providing a variety of specialized programs to meet the needs of the diverse student population. Choice options include programs like ROTC and dual language.
- Dual Enrollment is a form of accelerated education which allows eligible students to choose college-level courses that count toward a high school diploma as well as a post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree at a Florida post-secondary educational institution.
- Gifted Programs provide eligible students with enrichment and acceleration by providing effective and innovative strategies beyond the basic curriculum.
- Magnet Schools/Programs are programs with a particular theme that create educational environments designed to meet students’ interests, celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity, and foster student achievement. There are 41 magnet programs that range from Montessori and environmental science to performing arts and technology.
For information about the programs above, please contact the School District of Palm Beach County at:
| Website: http://www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/ |
| Main District Office: (561) 434-8000 |
| Magnet and Choice Schools: (561) 434-8755 |
| Charter Schools and Home Education: (561) 434-8929 |
