Deadline to apply is April 11
From staff reports
The Beaufort County School District is now accepting school choice applications for the 2025-26 academic year, the 10th year of the district’s expanded choice initiative.
School choice applications are open on the district’s website and must be submitted online by Friday, April 11, 2025, at 5 p.m. Parents who don’t have internet access may request application assistance at any district school.
“We want parents to know that Beaufort County School District is the best choice for their children,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a media release. “Our offerings are extensive, innovative, and engaging. There’s something to match every student’s interests and future career plans.”
Curriculum options approved by the Board of Education include such instructional choices as Advanced Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES), Montessori, International Baccalaureate, arts integration, language immersion, Cambridge Academy, Early College, MedTech 7 Medical and Technology pathways, and leadership programs.
Expanded options for this year include BCSD Tides, a dual enrollment partnership for rising 9th grade students, and select Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. To learn about each of the district’s school choice program offerings please see the BCSD School Choice website page (https://www.beaufortschools.net/families/school-choiceprograms) where a complete Guide to School Programs Booklet can be viewed.
Choice schools serve children who live in their attendance zones in addition to students from outside the zone who apply to attend. Beaufort County students who attend choice programs do not pay extra tuition, although families are responsible for their students’ transportation if they live outside of school attendance zones.
“There are even more opportunities for students and families to choose from with academic school program pathways that were previously limited to individuals residing in-zone,” Chief Instructional Services Officer Mary Stratos said. “This year, there are only four schools that are at or above capacity and do not have availability for students outside the attendance zone to apply for school choice, Okatie Elementary School, Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, Pritchardville Elementary School, and River Ridge Academy (Grades 6-8).”
A lottery will be held if the number of choice applications at a school would cause the school to exceed its overall enrollment capacity, or if approved applications would push an individual choice program beyond its capacity.
All district schools maintain a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics focus, as well as a core curriculum that includes the arts, world languages, and technology.
