Welcome!

If you are new to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and have questions about special education, please visit our Parent Resources page or contact the WS/FCS EC Division at 336-727-2083 or ecinformation@wsfcs.k12.nc.us

In order to make your student's transition into WS/FCS go smoothly, it is very important to provide your student's new school copies of the following information during registration:

• Most recent psychoeducational report, eligibility, evaluation and/or reevaluation report;
• Current individualized education program (IEP); and
• Contact information for your student's previous school and school district.
  

These items will support a successful transition between your student's old and new school and will ensure that appropriate services and supports are made available.

For out of state students:

Once you have shared your student's special education records, school staff will invite you to a meeting to discuss comparable services, or services similar to or the same as, provided on your student's most recent IEP.  During the meeting, school staff will also describe the initial eligibility process that occurs when students move from out of state and the timeline in which an initial North Carolina (NC) IEP will be developed.

For in state students but new to WS/FCS:

School staff will begin implementing your student's current NC IEP on their first day of school.  An invitation to review and revise your student's IEP may be scheduled.  The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss your student's transition to a new school and to determine if any adjustments to the services and supports currently being provided are needed.

School Information

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools operates a "controlled choice" assignment plan. Students are assigned to schools based on where their parents or guardians live, but students in elementary and middle schools can choose from among the schools in their zones.  If the parents are divorced or legally separated, the child is assigned to the school based on where the parent who has primary custody lives. Proof of address (a deed, lease, or utility bill) is required for enrollment.  For the residential school and zone of any address in Forsyth County, new residents are guaranteed enrollment in their residential school, but those in elementary or middle school may request to enroll in any school within their zone as long as space is available.  

Parents who want to choose a school for their child other than their residential school may do so each spring during the Schools of Choice period.  The period is announced at schools and on the school system's website wsfcs.k12.nc.us. Information about the Choice period is mailed to the parents' address or sent home with the child.  Once an assignment is made, it continues for a minimum of one school year unless there is a change in the student's residence, a medical need or a disciplinary reason for a transfer.  After a student has been assigned to a school, he or she may stay there for the remaining grades.

Students with disabilities

In general, parents of students who have disabilities may participate in school choice.  However, students who are placed in low-incidence or self-contained programs to meet their special needs may be limited to the schools where the programs are provided.  To the extent practical, the school system provides a range of special education programs and services in each attendance zone.  A student who has a medical need, physical illness, handicap, or disability may be assigned to a school in order to provide a reasonable accommodation for his or her needs.  The student's physician must provide a verified statement describing the medical need, handicap, or disability, and the medical advantages expected if the transfer is granted.

To determine your child's residential school and/or school zone, please visit the WS/FCS Student Assignment page.

For additional information about WS/FCS, please visit the Resources for Parents/Community on the WS/FCS website.