Employee and School Board Choice Process and Guidelines

Employee Choice is an employee benefit that allows full-time Richland School District Two employees and School Board members certain enrollment allowances.

Important:

• Employees living in district and out of district must apply for magnet programs and centers through Choice online process.
• Children of school board members may be enrolled in magnet centers, magnet programs and R2eSchool as long as the student meets all requirements of the specified program (test scores, grades, grade point average, writing samples) The application process would be waived.
• In order to apply for Pre-K employee and school board members must complete the Pre-K online application. You can not be approved for a Pre-K program/school using Employee Choice. However, out of district employees must first be verified as a full time RSD2 employee through the Employee Choice online site.
• Upon approval of Employee Choice, employees must complete district requirements for registration such as but not limited to: Proof of Residency, Annual Registration, New Student Registration.
• If an employee is utilizing Employee Choice and their employment in Richland Two becomes severed, it is the responsibility of the employee to inform the district and school registrar about their employment status immediately Employee Choice ends immediately upon an employee no longer working for Richland Two. 

If an employee or School Board member uses this choice, the following conditions apply:

• The employee or school board member becomes solely responsible for providing transportation to the choice school that the student will attend.
• The student and parents are expected to cooperate fully with the school administration on issues pertaining to procedures, rules and regulations of the choice school.
• ​Students should not have excessive tardies or absences and the family must cooperate with the administration and staff in regards to academic, disciplinary, and procedural matters.
• The prospective Employee Choice student can only be enrolled by the eligible, employed parent or legal guardian. No other family members may be enrolled based on this choice.
• Out-of-District employees would need to provide one proof of residence each year employee choice is utilized.
• If you are trying to enroll a student other than your own, you will need to submit the appropriate documents to show relationship, rights or legal authorization such as court custody documents, foster child documentation, declaration of residency and guardianship affidavit, marriage license.
• Failure to comply with the above conditions can lead to the revocation of the Employee and School Board Choice approval.

Completion/Submission of the Appropriate Forms:

• Employees and school board members who reside in the district but want their child(ren) to attend a different school need to complete the Employee and School Board Choice Form each year.
• ​Employees who do not reside in the district but want their child(ren) to attend school in Richland Two must complete the Employee and School Board Choice form and obtain a written release from the school district in which the employee resides. This release may be obtained by calling/e-mailing the district registrar of the appropriate school district and having them fax the release to the attention of the District Registrar’s Office at 803.738.7378.
• In December/January, all employees will receive an email from the District Registrar’s Office informing them of Employee and School Board Member Choice.  In order to avoid scheduling conflicts for the upcoming year at the middle and high school level, employees are encouraged to go to the Employee and School Board Choice link and complete the online form no later than the deadline specified in the email. Students may not begin school until their status has been confirmed by the District Registrar’s Office.
• Once an Employee and School Board Choice has been granted and your student begins attendance at the approved school, you can not utilize Employee Choice to change to another RSD2 school in that calendar year. You may always option to return to your zoned residential school or school district.

Employee Choice and Participation in Interscholastic Athletics and School Activities

The rules of the South Carolina High School League determine eligibility for interscholastic athletics and activities for middle and high school students. There is an important change to the athletic procedures in Richland School District Two which affect athletic eligibility and transfers. Parents and students should be aware of these rules before applying for a Choice option. Any student who accepts a Choice program and participates in an athletic or extracurricular activity at the Choice school during the spring or summer (cheerleading tryouts, spring football practice, summer team camps) may have their eligibility affected. If you have questions regarding Choice and participation in interscholastic athletics and activities, please contact Cleveland Smith, Chief of Pupil Services Officer, at csmith@richland2.org. or you may consult with your school’s athletic director. Additionally, many eligibility concerns are addressed in the athletics frequently asked questions.