Farmington Continues Schools of Choice Program

This year, 103 students from outside the district participate in Farmington Public Schools’ school of choice programs.

Two dozen are the children of district employees, and the rest are residents of Oakland County who live in districts other than FPS. Those students bring with them an additional $954,275 in state foundation allowance money.

The Board of Education decided this week to continue the program next year.

The district will first offer school of choice to intra-district students, those children who already live in the district, but may have a preference to attend a school other than the one that serves their neighborhood, Superintendent Susan Zurvalec said at the board’s May 24 meeting, held at North Farmington High School.

Once any of those slots have been filled, the district will allow its employees to apply. If room remains for additional students, the district will allow as many as 25 slots in kindergarten classes only to be filled by Oakland County students who reside outside the FPS borders.

“The goal is to have the intra-district and employee kids in their assignments by (the end of) June,” Zurvalec said. Applications to participate are due by June 10.

The board voted 6-1 to approve continuing the program. Board secretary Deborah Brauer voted against it, calling the practice of allowing students from outside the district to attend Farmington Schools “despicable” because it “pits public school districts against each other” and puts them in a position of competing against each other for dwindling state funds.

Board president Howard Wallach noted that the program was approved about 10 years ago.

“The idea at that time was to limit it to 25 students,” which would keep it small enough to preserve the culture of the district, while allowing the district to keep underpopulated schools as close to full capacity as possible, he said.