Students Looking at OCHS Face a Monday Deadline for School Choice

School officials are inviting students from outside the school district to apply to attend Ocean City High School next year.

Ocean City was recently accepted into the Interdistrict School Choice Program created by Gov. Chris Christie in the fall. 

Students from any town can now apply to attend a special science and technology program at Ocean City High School at no cost to themselves. But the families of interested students must let their home school district know they're considering a move by Monday, May 2.

THE PROGRAM

Ocean City has created 10 spots (five for 2011-12 freshmen and five for sophomores) in a curriculum that includes the traditional high school requirements but offers a special emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses.

The program takes advantage of Ocean City's cutting-edge faculty and facilities. Beyond core STEM courses (including a minimum of three honors-level courses and one Advanced Placement course), the program offers two tracks:

1. Project Lead the Way: This is part of a national program for students interested in engineering, biomechanics, aeronautics and other applied math and science fields.
2. TV/Media Productions: A three-room lab with state-of-the-art film- editing equipment is at the heart of a program that give students real-world experience in media production, including a weekly news show, .

Students must meet entrance criteria to be considered. Attending the program would come at no cost to the student's family. Ocean City High School will receive money from the state for each student it accepts.

"The program is designed to increase educational opportunities for students and their families by providing students with the option of attending a public school outside their district of residence without cost to their parents," according to the state Department of Education.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

For families interested in participating, the first deadline to start the application process comes on Monday, May 2.

• Parents or guardians must notify their home district of their intent to participate by May 2. This notification is not a binding decision to attend Ocean City High School—it only signals a potential interest in the School Choice Program (Use the form on the school district website.)
• To see a brochure on Ocean City High School's choice program: Page 1, Page 2
• For a complete timeline and parents' guide to the process, click on the PDF icons above.
• For more information on the program, visit the Department of Education website.

After submitting an intent form, parents must submit an application by May 16, and notifications of acceptance will go out on May 27.

If minimum criteria is met, the selection process is not competitive. Applicants will be selected at random to fill the 10 spots. But according to state criteria, preference must be given to students currently attending a public school. Students currently attending a private or parochial school are still encouraged to apply—they can be accepted if there are not enough applicants from public schools.

Ocean City received notification that it had been accepted to the School Choice Program only on April 14. The school has received no applications to date.

IMPACT ON DISTRICT

For Ocean City, the program provides an opportunity to attract new students and new revenue at a time of declining enrollment. The district will receive $11,500 from the state for each student it accepts.

The new state aid will help Ocean City maintain programs at a time of rising costs and decreasing revenue. The district anticipates two more years of declining enrollment from the sending districts of Upper Township, Sea Isle City and Corbin City (which pay tuition to Ocean City on a per-student basis) before leveling off.

"I'm excited about this opportunity, and I think it's a win-win," Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Taylor said, referring to students who now get their choice of schools and the district, which now gets new students and new revenue.

"I think it's a win-win for our taxpayers," Board of Education member Gregory Donahue said.

The following chart of information provided by Business Administrator Tom Grossi shows the enrollment trend for the district over the past 10 years.