District of Choice Deadline Draws Near

Glendora Unified School District is once again opening its campuses to students living outside district boundaries in its District of Choice Program for the 2012-2013 school year.

The program, which district officials credit for stabilizing declining enrollment and adding more than 500 students to the district, will accept applications until Dec. 22. According to a notice from the district office, no application will be accepted after the deadline.

The program is open to any student living outside district boundaries. Interested students do not have to be released from their current district to apply for enrollment.

Students currently enrolled in the district through do not need to reapply for the program, but their siblings, who are not currently enrolled but wish to apply, must apply separately.

All applications must be hand-delivered or postmarked to the District Office by Dec. 22. If accepted, acceptances are valid until the 2015-2016 school year.

Under state law, districts under the District of Choice Program cannot turn away any student if there are spaces available. If there are more applicants than spaces, the district will host a public lottery on Jan. 30, 2012.

According to reports by the district office, about 560 openings will be available to prospective students for 2012-2013. Since approving District of Choice in 2009, district officials have credited the program with saving the district from potentially devastating declines in enrollment.

"When District of Choice was sunrised, we looked at it and said this is our saving grace to at least keep the schools full," said Glendora Unified School Board President Doug Ferrell. "That offers continuity for the teachers, it allows all of our staff – many of who live in Glendora – the opportunity to stay."

However, the program has been criticized accross the state for allowing nonresidents access to community districts.

"I’m a firm believer in neighborhood schools," said Charter Oak School Board Member Joe Probst. "I believe when you say you’re for District of Choice, you cannot believe in a neighborhood school anymore."

The majority of students received through the Glendora Unified District of Choice program come from Azusa Unified, Charter Oak and Bonita Unified.

For the 2010-2011 school year, Glendora Unified accepted 1,115 applications, with 588 students ultimately accepted through the program.

District officials said they did not need to host a lottery for the current school year.

Applications for Glendora’s District of Choice Program can be downloaded at the district Web site. 

Applications can be delivered to: Glendora Unified School District, Educational Service, 500 N. Lorraine Avenue, Glendora, CA, 91741.

For more information, call (626) 963-1611.

- Aaron Castrejon contributed to this report.