District outlines
deadlines for 2014-2015 Choice process
Submit application by January 31st deadline for priority
consideration
Last year, the Adams 12 Five Star Schools received more than
4,200 Choice applications for the 2013-2014 school year. In accordance with the
state’s open enrollment law, the district’s Choice Program allows for students
to apply to attend schools outside of their attendance area boundary. Those who
are approved for Choice are responsible for their own transportation.
Both in-district and out-of-district students can apply for
Choice. Out-of-district Choice requests are considered after in-district
applications. Acceptance to a Choice
school is based upon several criteria: availability of space, sufficient
teaching staff, appropriate programs and the necessary facilities for special
needs students. While not a guarantee,
when possible, priority will be given to sibling applications for Choice so
that families will attend the same school.
A second priority will be given to siblings who have a one-year lapse of
concurrent enrollment.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools will determine the schools open
to Choice for the 2014-2015 school year no later than December 1, 2013. These will be published in the December issue
of the Five Star Journal and will be posted online at the district web site at
www.adams12.org/choice_schools.
The Choice application will be available on December 1st at
http://www.adams12.org/choice/application.
For families without computer access, applications will be available at
each school and at the Educational Support Center.
The deadline for priority consideration is January 31, 2014.
Parents and students submitting an application for priority consideration will
be notified of the results of their application no later than the third week of
February. If the number of requests exceeds the spaces available for priority
consideration in a given school, the district will hold a lottery.
The second deadline to submit a Choice application for the
2014-2015 school year will be March 31, 2014. As with the first round, if the
number of requests exceeds the spaces available for priority consideration in a
given school, the district will hold a lottery.
Notification of approval or denial will be made no later than the third
week of April.
In addition to the two deadlines above, in some years a
third round of Choice may be held in August if space is available. While the 1st and 2nd round of Choice is
lottery based, applications in the third round of Choice are processed on a
first-come, first-served basis and submitted at the school.
The Adams 12 Admissions Office determines the acceptance of
Choice requests. For traditional schools, extended-day tuition-based
kindergarten does not go through the Choice Program. For magnet schools, extended-day
tuition-based kindergarten does go through the Choice Program. In-district students are not required to
apply for Choice to attend secondary programs like Horizon SOAR, Legacy 2000,
Mountain Range International Language and Business, Northglenn High STEM
Program and Thornton High International Baccalaureate (IB). Application and acceptance to those programs
goes through the individual school.
Out-of-district students must apply for Choice, if that particular
school is open to Choice, be approved to attend the secondary school and must
be approved to attend the school’s program via the school’s program application
process.
Parents of extended-day, tuition-based kindergarteners at
traditional schools should note that enrollment in that program does not
automatically mean the student will go to the same school for first grade. The
student must apply through the Choice Program for first grade placement if
he/she wants to go to a school other than his/her boundary school. Also note that the school the child attended
for kindergarten may not necessarily be open for Choice. Parents of extended-day, tuition-based
kindergarteners for magnet schools do not need to reapply for Choice as their
Choice approval remains in effect through the highest grade served at their
magnet school.
The duration of a Choice placement is valid only for the
grades which that school serves. For example, if a student attends a Choice
elementary school, the approval is valid to the end of fifth grade, as long as
there are no significant changes in that school’s enrollment or facilities.
When a student transitions from elementary to middle school or from middle to
high school, they must reapply for Choice. If they don’t, the student’s
placement automatically reverts to their boundary school.
To learn more about the Choice Program and to get answers to
frequently asked questions, please visit the district web site at
http://www.adams12.org/choice or call 720-972-4055.GRADUATION and SENIOR CLASS
INFORMATION (As of 10/28/13) /