ROCK HILL, S.C. — Some Rock Hill parents will get to choose which school they want to send their children to this fall.
But there’s a catch that leaves current public-school students excluded.
The plan allows high school students in the district who don’t currently attend Rock Hill Schools to enroll in any school they choose. It passed in a 5 to 2 vote last month.
And while some say the program was implemented too quickly, Board Chair Helena Miller says this is just a pilot program.
“The point is really to see what opportunities this can give families. Is this something we would like to continue as a permanent program?” said Miller.
Supporters say the plan ‘could’ help bring students back into the system who left Rock Hill Schools for private and charter schools.
“The enrollment has been linear. However, our community has increased slightly,” said Miller. “Bringing more students back does increase our funding, but it also increases the opportunities that are available to all students. We have more opportunities to expand programming.”
In May, some board members expressed concerns about the cost of busing new students from their homes to their school of choice.
“I’m not comfortable approving this without vetting what transportation will look like,” a chair member expressed.
“All of those items are things staff have vetted, and they are prepared to pivot depending on what feedback and concerns are as the program gets started; continue to monitor,” Miller rebutted.
A district spokesperson told Channel 9 there is no cap on the pilot program because it’s being offered to such a small group of people. But if the program transitions beyond a pilot, they will have to limit the number of participants.
An application portal for the program will open on June 16. To learn more about the application process, click here.
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