Community Engagement
- Community Engagement
-
Parents and Families
- District Services
- Enrollment Information
- Bell Schedules
- Student-Parent Handbook
- High School Exam Schedule
- WS/FCS Event Safety and Security Clear Bag Rules
- School Improvement Plans
- ACT and PLAN Test Information
- SAT Information
- Scholarships
- Community Resources
- Technology How-To Guides
- CLASS Access at Public Libraries
- PowerSchool Parent Portal
- Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
- Media Center Destiny Search
- MTSS Information for Parents
- Community Partnerships
- Volunteer and Get Involved
- Resources for Schools
- ESSER: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
- Let's Keep in Touch
- Contact Us
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
- Community Forums on Choice
Feedback Period Closed
-
At this time, we are no longer accepting additional comments or feedback. Thank you to everyone who took time to join the virtual forums or utilize the online comment form to help WS/FCS continue to stay informed of the needs of our communities and influence potential changes for choice and assignment policies. Our team is now compiling all feedback received and developing a report of information recently collected. Later this summer a full report of the fall survey and the Spring forums will be available so you can get a closer look at identified areas of success, challenges, and improvement
What is Choice?
-
WS/FCS Choice Plan allows for students to attend their residential school, choose another school within their zone (zones are based on the student's home address), or apply for transfers to schools outside of their zone.
More about choice and assignment is available by clicking this link to visit the Student Assignment webpage.
Annually, students receive letters - typically from December to March - indicating their school assignments. The letter explains in detail what families must do if they would like for their child to exchange schools.
- Every child is guaranteed a seat in her/his residential school.
- Pre-School programs for children ages 3 to 5 are available. Eligibility is based on income and is for students who have needs based on educational screening or developmental delays.
- Elementary and middle school students, if electing choice, are guaranteed one of their top three choices in their zone. If looking to attend school outside their zone, a Choice card must be requested. It is important to note that transportation is not provided to school outside of a student's zone.
- High school students can apply for a Choice transfer to another high school. Students are assigned in order that their Choice applications are received. High schoolers must provide their own transportation if they are granted a Choice transfer.
- Magnet schools are an option for every student. A magnet school application is required. Transportation is available on a limited basis to students who attend a magnet school, with the exception of the Downtown School.
All Choice options are dependent upon space availability.
FAQs on the Current Choice Plan
-
How do I find out what my residential and zone options are?
You may search for your address in our school locator tool on the student assignment page https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/103952. If your child is in our school system, he/she will be bringing home a letter with your options and application dates prior to the assignment periods starting.
-
How do choices in my zone work?
Parents will need to rank the schools in your zone on the assignment application. We will guarantee one of your choices in your zone. Decisions are made based on number of requests and capacity of the schools in the zone. Each school’s assignment is made by a random selection from applications.
-
Can I apply to a school outside of my zone?
Parents can apply to one school outside of their zine once the in-zone assignments have been completed. Space is limited and transportation is not provided if application is approved.
-
Is transportation provided to other schools in my zone?
Yes, transportation is provided to all the schools in your zone.
-
How do I request a change in school assignment during the school year?
During the school year, you may submit a Special Transfer request to the student assignment office for good and substantial reasons. Decisions are made based on school capacity and reasons for requesting the transfer.
-
Are siblings given preference when applying to a school together?
Yes, if siblings attend the same school during the same school year.
-
What happens if I do not receive my first-choice assignment?
Assignments are made to meet the capacity of the schools in the zone. You may appeal your assignment if you are not satisfied with the result.
-
Do school system employees get preference when applying to schools?
WS/FCS employees only get preference to the school where they are employed or to the closest one in proximity if their student is in another grade level.
-
When can I apply for Magnet or Choice schools?
Our assignment periods typically start in December for all grades except Kindergarten. Kindergarten assignment periods start towards the end of March. Dates are posted on our student assignment pages here https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/103952.
-
How are Magnet assignments decided?
If there are more applicants than spots available at a Magnet school, the number of applicants accepted will be determined by a lottery. The applicants that are not assigned to the school during the lottery process will be placed on a waitlist. Parents are contacted from the waitlist should space come available at that school.
-
If my child is in a Magnet program, does he/she get preference when applying to the next school that has that program?
Yes, students in Magnet programs can continue the program in another grade level if the parent chooses.
-
Can I appeal my placement on a Magnet waitlist?
No, waitlist placements are not appealable.
About the Choice Forums
-
In the fall of 2020, WS/FCS invited families to complete a survey on the perceptions and challenges of the district’s school choice and assignment policies. We are grateful that nearly 7,000 responses were received to the survey. While we had great response to the survey, we still wanted to hear more from you!
Out of the district's commitment to equity and access, we invited community members to participate in one of three virtual Community Forums during the month of May (May 17, May 19, and May 24). The forums were intended to be listening sessions that brought the community together for intentional conversations about experiences of school choice, student and family needs, and how the district can be successful in best meeting those needs with new plans by eliminating barriers to opportunities.
During each forum participants broke out into smaller groups. Each group had a community facilitator who helped create a space for sharing safely, guided the conversation, invited participation, and listened to what is being shared. There were also notetakers who recorded key things heard.
Community in Conversation
-
The Community Forums on Choice were facilitated by a local consultant, NCCJ: National Conference on Community and Justice. For more than 80 years, NCCJ has promoted understanding and respect among all people in the Triad. Today, NCCJ specializes in human relations and leadership training for Triad youth and adults. Their programs and trainings for educators and students equip participants with the knowledge and tools they need to create more inclusive spaces by helping people examine how their unconscious biases, experiences and identities shape their perspective of the world, themselves and others. Participants learn strategies for creating and fostering more inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Small group conversations were led by local community leaders from partners like Action4Equity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Black Philanthropy Initiative, Coalition for Equity in Public Education, FCAE (Forsyth County Association of Educators), Hispanic League, Ministers' Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods, North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations, and The Forsyth Promise.