NEWS

JCPS seeks to demystify school choice

Allison Ross
@allisonSross

Every year around this time, anxious parents and students pore through their schooling options, trying to determine what Jefferson County Public Schools program or school is best for them — and what the odds are that they'll get into their program of choice.

It's a process filled with anxiety, uncertainty and frustration for some, including for parent Zainab Wiseman, who recently told Superintendent Donna Hargens of her struggle to get her kindergarten son into Stopher Elementary this school year.

Hargens, during a school board workshop Monday evening, said JCPS hears the concerns and frustrations of parents like Wiseman. She said the district wants to have a way for parents to see their approximate odds of getting into a school by simply filling out some information online.

JCPS: JCPS 'erred' not telling board of resignation

AND: $150,000 grant to help buy football helmets

"People are looking for certainty," Hargens said after the workshop. She said she has heard many parents who put down a long-shot option as their first choice for their children and are frustrated that they felt they "wasted their first choice."

But the idea is just in its infancy. When these upgrades will be up and running, or exactly how they will look and work, is uncertain.

Hargens said that, internally, JCPS administrators are trying to pull together a few years of data to properly calculate odds. She added that the district is preparing to send out a request for proposals to have an outside organization talk to parents and other stakeholders about how the process works and what they would like to see improved.

Jonathan Lowe, the district's director of strategy, said he hopes to send the request for proposals to the board next month. He said the plan will be to have a company watch parents go through the student assignment application process to see where more information can be provided or where frustrations can be lessened.

JCPS: JCPS settled with ex-spokeswoman for $200,000

"Everybody works so hard to get into schools," Hargens said. She said she hopes this information, once up, will help parents better strategize and will cut down on people feeling frustrated by the student assignment and choice process.

The mention of the RFP came up during a discussion of plans to revamp the district's website. That revamp is also still in its infancy, although JCPS officials said Monday that they hoped it would be done around May 2015.

Wiseman's son didn't get into Stopher Elementary — until after she fought tooth and nail to get him transferred in — despite being told by a district official that he had a really good chance of getting in.

"My child's future is too important to leave up to chance," Wiseman said. She said she appreciates choice, but said the process was frustrating.

"No matter what, parents don't want to move and buy a house in a certain area and then find out their child is not going to go to that school," Wiseman said. She said she and her family purposely picked an area that had good elementary and middle schools nearby. She said that "if I had a choice, I would not live in Louisville" because of the uncertainty over school placements.

Reporter Allison Ross can be reached at (502) 582-4241. Follow her on Twitter at @allisonS ross.