Camden Public Schools Announces Family-Friendly Universal Enrollment System for all District, Charter, and Renaissance Schools

 From the press release:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 – Office of the Superintendent, Camden, NJ – Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard joined parents, Mayor Redd, and leaders from District, charter, and renaissance schools Tuesday to jointly announce major improvements in how Camden families find the best school for their children. Camden Enrollment—a single, simple way for families to learn about and apply to the best public school for their child—will replace the current patchwork system of 17 different applications with deadlines over a nine-month period.

Camden Enrollment comes with a family-friendly guide and website. The guide, the website, and Camden Enrollment itself were all created through a collaborative process with parents and educators. More than 100 students, families, educators, and residents shared formal feedback over the course of five community meetings in the summer and fall. Representatives from the 38 District, charter, and renaissance schools who met over many months further shaped this joint initiative.

Said Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard: “As a parent, I know that finding the right school for my child is absolutely critical. As Superintendent, I know that helping parents access the best option for their child will benefit students and schools. I’m grateful that our partners and our community have come together to develop a system that ensures all schools serve all our students and families.”

Families’ participation in Camden Enrollment is voluntary—all Camden students still have a guaranteed seat at their neighborhood District school. Furthermore, if families are happy with the school their child currently attends, there is no need to take action—their child can stay at that school.

Camden Enrollment is for families whose children are entering kindergarten or 9th-grade, families who are new to Camden City, or any family looking for another public school option... 

All students can participate in Camden Enrollment; students with special needs and bilingual students will receive individualized outreach to make sure their school choices support their learning needs. In addition, Camden Enrollment offers preferences for families that want siblings to stay together in the same school.

Under Camden Enrollment, starting in September 2016 the Camden City School District will provide transportation to District schools more than two miles from a student’s home, a service currently offered only to charter and renaissance school students.