School choice: How it works April 2018

Program highlights and timeline 01 Trends 02 Program highlights and timeline CONTENTS 03 School choice claim and special education increment forms 04 Common questions

Trends 01

School choice enrollment and tuition have grown steadily

Central and western counties have highest rates of school choice participation County N districts N choice % Barnstable 16 12 75.0% Berkshire 18 17 94.4% Bristol 26 10 38.5% Dukes 5 4 80.0% Essex 32 15 46.9% Franklin 88.9% Hampden 88.2% Hampshire 19 94.7% Middlesex 57 20 35.1% Nantucket 1 0.0% Norfolk 33 7 21.2% Plymouth 27 13 48.1% Suffolk 25.0% Worcester 49 41 83.7% Grand Total 322 189 58.7%

Program highlights and timeline 02

Chapter 76 Section 12 passed in 1991 Program highlights Chapter 76 Section 12 passed in 1991 32 districts in FY92, 189 districts (including virtual schools) in FY18 All districts now at the $5,000 per student cap Special education increments are added to the $5,000 rate State average special education increment based on current estimates is $5,567. School choice is a local program

Timeline Spring: School committee vote July-November: DOR-DLS bases tuitions based fiscal year projections December: ESE publishes choice tuitions based on October 1 SIMS, releases choice rosters, and DOR-DLS adjusts payments January-March: LEAs submit roster corrections April: LEAs submit school choice claim and special education increment forms May-June: ESE publishes final choice tuitions, DOR-DLS adjusts local aid payments Post June: ESE adjusts any FY18 errors during FY19, up until June 2019

School choice claim and special education increment forms 03

School choice claim form Add or remove students Update SIMs information, including special education placement codes Enter addresses Update start and end dates Enter special education increments and transportation amounts Enter multiple records as needed Both forms are due April 27, 2018

Points to remember VERIFY that special education increments match the amounts entered on the special education increment form ONLY enter dates for individual students if they differ from the district's start or end dates (see the instructions) DO NOT include PO boxes or zip codes with street addresses USE the dropdown menu to enter the city or town of residence CHECK all addresses before submitting your file DO NOT leave blank rows in your data

Try to get it right on initial submission More to remember Try to get it right on initial submission Changes preferred by email to rodonnell@doe.mass.edu Only email student’s initials and the last 4 digits of their SASID If you submit a new file, make it clear who the new students are (bottom of the file with comments at far right)

Special education increment form Person completing the form should have CB training Form includes students who had special education increments in FY17 If there were no students reported last year, then a blank file is available Do not change the filename Add, remove, or update student information based on valid IEPs to cost out services Changes made to a student’s IEP during the year may require 2 placement records to cost out services Increment forms are subject to audit

Common questions 04

Common questions Can sending districts see special education increment form? Yes, upon request Can siblings be given preference in lottery? Yes, if there are openings Can choice pupils be out-placed? Yes Can a resident student who moves out of town mid-year be converted to choice? Only if the district has open seats (no lottery) How is split custody handled? Adjust start/leave dates, add extra record if both towns are out of the district Can a student choice in to free FDK if their home district doesn’t offer it? Yes Who receives Chapter 70 aid for choice students? Sending district Can teachers’ non-resident children get preference in the lottery? No

2018-2019 school choice survey due by June 1: http://bit.ly/2mOotdY

Contacts School choice claim form Rob O’Donnell rodonnell@doe.mass.edu Special education increment form Elena DeMelin edemelin@doe.mass.edu Program questions Marnie Jain mjain@doe.mass.edu

THANK YOU