What does NHCS Provide for School Choice?
NHCS should acknowledge that parents have educational choices available to them that include our public schools and will ultimately CHOOSE the best option that meets the needs of their children. Currently, NHCS provides several program choices, but I believe we need to expand these offerings to ensure our public schools receive the necessary funding to remain a viable option for parents.
The school board needs to understand and acknowledge that parents will be examining and potentially pursuing educational opportunities for their children that may not include our public schools.
NHCS currently provides free choice lottery schools, such as year-round elementary, K-8 dual immersion, choice school focused on arts, a choice school focused on S.T.E.M., an academically rigorous high school, along with partnerships with other county choice schools. NHCS should expand their choice program to include a year-round middle and high school opportunity for students. Our year-round elementary schools are highly rated and very attractive to many parents in the school district. Expanding these types of choices would serve all of our stakeholders well.
How to Expand School Choice in New Hanover County
We need to examine the feasibility and interest in providing a fully virtual school option that includes access to an electronic device, free public curriculum and extracurricular activities included in our in-person learning schools. This would serve those families who have expressed a desire and need to have flexible educational options that match their needs. This need has come about in light of the pandemic both for COVID-cautious families as well as families frustrated with inconsistent COVID protocols and quarantines. In addition this provides an alternative for parents uncomfortable with current safety standards within the county. A fully virtual school option would ensure that our public schools do not lose students and the associated funds to other options that are available now.
By expanding NHCS’ offering of our choice schools, parents will have more flexibility in choosing the best option that meets and matches their child’s academic needs. This will, in turn, reduce the class sizes at our other schools making the educational experience more manageable and help build effective relationships, by providing a smaller teacher to student ratio. This has proven to be the catalyst for building better and stronger classroom relationships resulting in the successful academic growth of students as well as helping to eliminate the possibility of bullying in our schools.