Although public school choice has been available in Washington for quite some time, in 1990 the Washington state Legislature added regulations and clarified the process by adopting the Learning by Choice law. Washington’s support of school choice is in line with growing support nationwide for competition in public education. Choice advocates believe that if schools operate on the free-market principle that governs the business world, the result will be better schools that respond to parents' needs and concerns.

School Transfers
Each district sets its own policy and regulations regarding intradistrict and interdistrict transfers. If you want to enroll your child in a different school within your home district, you should apply for an intradistrict transfer. To attend a school outside of your home district, apply for an interdistrict transfer.

Space limitations often make transfers difficult, and each district has its own regulations, so be sure to check with your local district for specific requirements.

School districts in Washington are “strongly encouraged” (according to the Revised Code of Washington, the state’s compilation of laws which includes the education code) to honor the requests of parents or guardians to have their child attend a school in another district or a different school within the child’s district of residency. The law states that a district should release a student to another district provided the district has space and agrees to accept that student for one of the following reasons:

• A financial, educational, safety or health condition of the student that would likely be improved as a result of the transfer
• Attendance at the school in the nonresident district is more accessible to the parent’s place of work or to the location of child care
• There is a special hardship or detrimental condition

The student’s resident district may deny a transfer request if the request would adversely affect the district’s existing desegregation plan, or if none of the conditions outlined above exist. Schools may not charge a transfer fee or tuition for nonresident students.

Alternative Schools
Alternative schools are another option offered by many Washington school districts. These schools generally have a particular focus, such as art or technology, or a different structural organization, such as mixing different grade levels within one classroom. Alternative schools are not governed by neighborhood boundaries; they draw students from throughout the school district and must accept students on a nondiscriminatory basis. This title is used officially as well as informally to describe a wide range of schools, so it's important to ask specific schools why they are classified as "alternative." One example of an alternative school is the Pathfinder School in Seattle, a K-8 school where children work with an emphasis on Native American culture and an antibias, antiracist curriculum.

Running Start
Running Start is a program which allows 11th and 12th grade students to enroll in courses or programs in a community college, technical college or select four-year universities (currently only Central Washington, Eastern Washington and Washington State universities and The Evergreen State College) without paying college tuition. Students must pay for their own books and transportation costs. Both high school and university/technical college credits may be obtained for successfully completed courses. A student may take the equivalent course work at a college or university for up to two academic years.

The student must notify the public school district and the high school of his intent to apply for admission to a community or vocational college course for credit. It’s a good idea to start this process as early as possible because the high school must decide if the student is eligible and if the proposed college work merits high school credit. In addition, the college or university must determine if the student qualifies for admission.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Choice
Seventh and eighth graders may receive credits for completing high school courses. Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses are not required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other assignments to receive credit.

Private Schools
Private schools are schools that do not receive funding from the state and therefore do not have to follow the rules set out in the Revised Code of Washington. Families of the students pay tuition or, in some cases, students receive scholarships to attend. The teachers, principal, board of directors and sometimes the parents and students decide upon curriculum, teaching methodology and enrollment requirements. For more information on private schools, see the article, Private vs. Public Schools: What's the Difference?

Homeschooling
Another option is for parents to teach their children at home instead of sending them to a public or private school. Many communities have organizations that assist homeschooling families with curriculum and opportunities to meet other homeschoolers. For more information on homeschooling, click here.

A Note About Charter Schools: Charter schools are public schools that have a lot of flexibility in the way they structure academic programs, hiring and other functions. Although almost 40 states have passed charter school legislation, Washington has not followed the trend. The issue has come before the Washington Legislature several times in the past few years, but it has gone down to defeat every time.

Federal Regulations
Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, if your school receives federal funds under Title I (free and reduced-price lunches) and hasn't met federal standards on state standardized tests, you have the right to transfer your child to another school in the district. Districts must provide or pay for the transportation to the school of choice within the district. For more information on the No Child Left Behind Act, click here.

Additional Resources
For specific information about the rules and realities of different school choice options, consult these GreatSchools.net guides:
Interdistrict and Intradistrict Transfers in Washington: Options Beyond Your Neighborhood School
School Choice in Seattle Promotes Innovation

Visit our Parent Resource Center for more articles about your child’s alternatives and the school selection process.

Updated February 2005