1. School choice: How it works
April 2018

2. Program highlights and timeline01
Trends 02
Program highlights and timeline
CONTENTS 03
School choice claim and special education increment forms 04
Common questions

3. Trends 01

4. School choice enrollment and tuition have grown steadily

5. 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%

6. Program highlights and timeline02

7. 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

8. 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

9. School choice claim and special education increment forms03

10. 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

11. 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

12. Try to get it right on initial submission
More to remember
Try to get it right on initial submission
Changes preferred by to
Only 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)

13. 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

14. Common questions 04

15. 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

16. 2018-2019 school choice survey due by June 1: http://bit.ly/2mOotdY

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

18. THANK YOU