Dec. 8, 2020 – Duval County Public Schools is hosting its annual school choice expo on Saturday Jan. 9, 2021 with one major change…the event will be virtual due to COVID-19.
Families will still be able to tour schools and speak with school leaders….but from the comfort and safety of home.
While the Expo is still a few weeks away, below are a few steps families can take now to prepare:
- Get a Parent Account and link it to your child – This is essential because school choice applications are only available if the parent/guardian has a parent account and it is linked to their student. Visit www.duvalschools.org/focus for a step-by-step guide to creating a parent account and linking it to the student.
- Contact the Office of School Choice – There’s no better time to contact school choice than now, before the rush of school choice season begins in January. Questions can be sent to school_choice@duvalschools.org. Also, as a brand new feature, families can go online to schedule an appointment with a school choice specialist. To make an appointment, visit www.duvalschools.org/schoolchoice and click on “Make an Appointment.”
- Register for “School Choice” Parent Academy courses in January – The Parent Academy is offering virtual courses the first week in January to help families prepare for school choice season. Registration info is below and in the new January – March catalog.
- “DCPS is a Choice District. What does that mean for you?” (Elementary Session); Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021; 6-7 p.m. Register here.
- “DCPS is a Choice District. What does that mean for you?” (Middle and High School Session); Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. 7-8 p.m. Register here.
- “School Choice Expo. Everything you need to know”; Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021; 6:30-7:30 p.m. Register here.
More information about the virtual School Choice Expo will be on the district’s website toward the end of December. For more information about the application process or to schedule an appointment with a school choice specialist, visit www.duvalschools.org/schoolchoice.
Tips on how to prepare for the school choice season are shared in this earlier TeamDuval.org story: https://www.teamduval.org/2020/11/18/school-choice-what-you-need-to-know/.
