Deadline for school choice is quickly approaching after big changes in Manatee County

The deadline for school choice is quickly approaching now that Manatee County has changed its open enrollment process.

Open enrollment, the time when parents can apply for a school outside of their child’s assigned campus, was previously held between January and March, spreading out the application period for elementary, middle and high schools.

Applications for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year started on Dec. 2 and run through Dec. 31. All grades are now lumped into the same enrollment period, limiting the process to one month.

Parents are now required to submit an application in the Focus Parent Portal, while applications were previously submitted in-person or by email and regular mail.

Instructions on creating an account and submitting an application can be found by visiting manateeschools.net, navigating to the “Parents and Students” tab and then clicking on “School Choice.”

Open enrollment is available for students in kindergarten through 10th grade, while incoming 11th-graders and 12th-graders are required to apply for a hardship transfer, according to the school district’s website.

For more information, call the Office of Student Assignment at 941-708-4971 or email studentassignment@manateeschools.net.