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School Choice in Utah: An Overview of Your Options
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Choice in Utah: An Overview of Your Options
Charter schools, magnet schools, and interdistrict
and intradistrict transfers are some of the ways to choose a public
school for your child. Start here to learn about your options. By
GreatSchools.net Staff
If you're like most parents, you've probably heard some talk about
school choice, but aren't quite sure how it applies to your child.
What are your options? What are your rights? And how do you figure
out what the best choice is for your child? This guide will introduce
you to the possibilities.
School choice options available to parents have increased dramatically
in recent years in response to a growing national sentiment that
promoting competition in public education may spur schools to improve.
Choice advocates believe that if schools operate on the free-market
rules that govern the business world, the result will be better
schools that respond to parents' needs and concerns.
Charter Schools
One of the most significant changes in public education in recent
years has been the growth of the charter school movement. Charter
schools are public schools that are liberated from some of the traditional
school regulations required by the state. These schools are bound
by charter agreements granted by local school boards. If they don't
meet the requirements of their charter, they can be shut down. Charter
school enrollment is voluntary and is not governed by neighborhood
boundaries, which means your child can choose to attend any charter
school within your district, or outside your district, that has
space.
School Transfers
School districts generally set their own policies for intradistrict
transfers (from one school in the district to another) and interdistrict
transfers (to a school outside the district). Preferences are often
given to children whose child care provider is near a particular
school, or whose parents work in the city where the school is located.
Most school districts have an appeals process if your request is
denied. Space limitations often make transfers difficult, and each
district's process has its own regulations, so be sure to check
with your local district for specific requirements.
Magnet Schools
Magnet schools are another option offered by many school districts.
Magnet schools generally have a particular focus, such as art or
technology, or follow a different structural organization, such
as mixing different grade levels within one classroom, or operating
on a year-round schedule. Magnet schools are not governed by neighborhood
boundaries; they draw students from throughout the school district
and must accept students on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Alternative Schools
These are generally schools whose educational philosophies are different
from traditional programs. Typically, alternative schools have small
classes, social and emotional development curriculum, and self-paced
academic curriculum. This title is used officially as well as informally
to describe a wide range of schools, so it's important to ask specific
schools why they are classified as "alternative."
Private Schools
Private schools are schools that do not receive funding from the
state and therefore do not have to follow the state's Education
Code. Families of the students pay tuition or, in some cases, students
receive scholarships to attend. The teachers, principal, board of
directors (and sometimes the parents and students) decide upon curriculum,
teaching methodology and enrollment requirements.
Homeschooling
Another option is for parents to teach their children at home instead
of sending them to a public or private school. Each state has different
laws governing homeschooling. Many communities have organizations
that assist homeschooling families with curriculum and opportunities
to meet other homeschoolers.
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