With the changes brought to the school system following a waiver signed by the state department of education, eliminating the No Child Left Behind Act requirements, the school system will no longer be required to offer public school choice at Title I schools next year.

Public School Choice was one of the requirements of the NCLB Act. If a school did not meet the state's standards on Adequate Yearly Progress for two or more consecutive years, the school system was required to offer school choice to another school that did meet those standards. This past school year, the system was not required to provide transportation for those students.

What this means for the NCSS is that public school choice will no longer be available for Middle Ridge Elementary and that students participating in choice will still have the option of going to their choice school next year or they can return to their zoned school. However no transportation will be offered.

Forms for applicable parents will be sent home and are also available at the NCSS website at www.newtoncountyschools.org. They must be returned to central office no later than May 18.