School Board Expands Ocean City's School Choice Program

The Ocean City Board of Education voted Wednesday to increase the number of seats available to students from outside the school district as part of the state's new Interdistrict School Choice Program.

The new program gives school districts $11,500 in aid for each student they accept in the new program. Ocean City, which faces declining enrollment from sending districts that pay tuition, sees the new program as a way to bring in new revenue and maintain programs. For families, the program provides an opportunity to place children in a district that may be a better fit.

The board had already approved 26 seats for the 2012-13 school year, but voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the following 58 seats:

• Grade 1: 2 seats
• Grade 2: 2 seats
• Grade 3: 4 seats
• Grade 4: 2 seats
• Grade 5: 3 seats
• Grade 6: 3 seats
• Grade 7: 3 seats
• Grade 8: 4 seats
• Grade 9: 30 seats
• Grade 10: 3 seats
• Grade 11: 2 seats

Applications from prospective new students were due Dec. 1, and the district has more applications than newly approved seats. Ocean City, for instance, received 56 applications for the 30 ninth-grade seats and 87 for the the high-school seats combined.

The board also approved a policy that would give siblings (who meet minimum criteria) of newly selected School Choice students preference over other applicants.

The program, signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie in September 2010, started this year in Ocean City with eight students in grades 9 and 10 who are part of a special science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program.

Students who applied for the new school year will receive notice of acceptance or rejection between today (Dec. 15) and Jan. 4.