The Clay County School District's Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) Plan is being brought to the School Board for approval for the 2024- 2025 school year. Florida Statute § 1002.31 directs each school district to develop a controlled open enrollment plan. The Clay County School Board has previously developed a policy to establish how students may attend schools outside of their attendance zone. The COE Plan will set the threshold capacity number to be used by the district in determining which schools have available capacity and will participate in controlled open enrollment throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

The Controlled Open Enrollment plan allows the Clay County School District to make student school assignments using the parent or guardians' indicated preferential school choice as a significant factor when capacity allows at specific, previously identified schools.

In 2017, the Clay County School District administered Controlled Open Enrollment for the first time. Throughout Clay County, 11 schools had available capacity in 2017, 10 schools in 2018, 11 schools in 2019, 11 schools in 2020,  5 schools in 2021, and 5 schools in 2022. All schools enrolled new students as a result of COE. The number of applicants for each previous year, and the current year,  is reflected in the chart below. 

*56 applicants between July 1 - December 6, 2022
**110 applicants between July 1 - March 26, 2024

For the 2024-25 Controlled Open Enrollment process, the Clay County School District aims to once again incorporate parental choice as a significant factor in student school assignment, where available capacity allows. Schools with available capacity will accept students based on the previously approved School Board policy for COE which identifies priority categories to be used when filling open seats. Should more students apply than seats available for any given school, the Clay County School District will conduct a random lottery selection process based on School Board policy.

The Controlled Open Enrollment process furthers the district's strategic plan of Goal 1: Engage all students to attain the necessary skills and knowledge to be future-ready graduates.

The School Board recommends approval of the Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) Plan for the 2024- 2025 school year