how do i enroll my child in school outside zone? (Miami: homes, magnet school)

[amrosa]

I have three young children who currently attend a parochial school. We love the education they have received, as well as the nurturing and cooperative environment. Unfortunately, the cost has caught up to us to the point where living in the negative has reached a limit. We have no choice but to find an alternative.
I do not like the public schools in our area at all. How would I go about in enrolling them in a dade public school that is not in our area, or even the same Region? I am at my wits end trying to find someone who can help me. I already lost count of the number of phones I have called at dade count schools looking for some guidance. I am feeling very lost trying to navigate the school "system." Perhaps someone has gone thru a similar situation...

[boxus]

Make a friend and use their address, or home school.

"I am feeling very lost trying to navigate the school "system."

Yet you want to send your kid to them..........

[somebodymiami]

Originally Posted by boxus

Make a friend and use their address, or home school.

"I am feeling very lost trying to navigate the school "system."

Yet you want to send your kid to them..........

This or go to your school board district HQ ( there is one for north miami, south miami, west miami etc etc) and talk to someone in there usually they will change the school for you but only during the beginning of the year it will be a lot harder towards the middle or end of the school year. You have to maintain good grades and good attendance/discipline or they will send you back to your district school. Or you can just enroll in a magnet program if they are below 9th grade.

[ray1945]

MDCPS has a number of 'Schools of Choice' that accept students from all regions via application. Check it out here:

Miami-Dade County Public Schools - Division of School Choice & Parental Options

[Tgel]

Originally Posted by boxus

Make a friend and use their address, or home school.

"I am feeling very lost trying to navigate the school "system."

Yet you want to send your kid to them..........

I would not lie about your address in order to get your kids into a certain school. Miami has cracked down on that before and could again.

I agree with the other post to ask the school board for an exception, which they are likely to grant if you can prove an "undue hardship" by sending your kids to the school they're zone for. In our case, the school is in one direction and the school we wanted is literally on the way to both of our jobs. We got in to the school of our choice through a lottery selection process, but if we hadn't, we would've gone the route of claiming hardship.

[WINTERFRONT]

Is homeschooling an alternative for you???

[doggiebus]

OP - Have you tried getting your child into a charter or magnet school?

[amrosa]

To boxus....I'm only interested in ways that don't involve cheating or lying; that's the kind of selfish mentality that ruins things for everyone...
to ray1945....the link you provided is fantastic, thank you.
for everyone else...thank you all for the suggestions. i finally was able to get hold of a very nice person in one of the schools who explained to me that i could qualify for hardship, b/c i do depend on relatives to pick up the kids after school while i'm working
i would looove to homeschool. in fact some of the homeschool websites give great ideas for weekend projects, even if your kids go to regular school. but i do have to put food on the table, so....off to work
Thank you. All this information was very helpful

[Tgel]

I'm glad that the hardship option is going to work for you....and that you found a nice person that works in government! :-) Sorry....I couldn't resist maintaining a biased and mostly unfair stereotype. Best of luck!

[boxus]

"that's the kind of selfish mentality that ruins things for everyone..."

Yet it is not selfish for you to enroll your kids in a school that is in other people's area?

AND.........

You state this as your reason:

"Unfortunately, the cost has caught up to us to the point where living in the negative has reached a limit. We have no choice but to find an alternative.
I do not like the public schools in our area at all. How would I go about in enrolling them in a dade public school that is not in our area, or even the same Region?"


But yet you tell the government this:

"i could qualify for hardship, b/c i do depend on relatives to pick up the kids after school while i'm working"

No where in your response to the government did you state the reason is just because you do not like the schools in your area.

Is that not the same lying and cheating you were accusing me of?