Summer is around the corner, and while next school year may be the farthest thing on your mind, if you are planning on changing districts, now is the time to start looking at your options.
“I cannot emphasize enough for parents to start now,” says Roberta Farina, the supervisor of pupil accounting for Macomb Intermediate School District. “Many districts already opened their application windows for the 2023-2024 school year.”
Districts across Macomb County offer School of Choice options, which means that they are accepting applications for students outside of their district and some districts will allow students to attend their district even if they live outside of Macomb County.
“I think families have a lot of great choices,” Farina adds. “Start with local schools and do your homework.”
One resource Farina suggests for parents is mischooldata.org, which shows achievement data, graduation rates and other information. She also recommends looking at district websites to get an idea of class sizes, curriculum, the school’s culture extra-curricular and athletic opportunities. Finally, you can look into open houses and visit the schools to get an idea of whether or not this school would be a good fit for you and your child.
While you are doing your research, the most important factor to consider is that there are two types of School of Choice enrollment: unlimited and limited.
With unlimited enrollment, candidates have a registration window that usually lasts until the first day of class of the new school year, whereas limited schools have a 15-30 day window to fill their available spots. Limited schools also tend to only apply to certain grades or schools within the district, whereas unlimited is usually district-wide.
If you have decided this option is a good fit for your family, make sure to do your research and enroll as soon as possible. For a head start, refer to this list of Macomb County school districts that offer Schools of Choice.
Anchor Bay Schools
- District phone number: 586-725-2861
- School of Choice rules: Limited spots for middle and high school students. Parents are responsible for transportation to and from school.
- 2024-25 date information: Feb. 15-Aug. 30, 2024
Armada Area Schools
- District phone number: 586-784-2112
- School of Choice rules: Non-resident students are ineligible for interscholastic sports for a full semester. Parents are responsible for transportation, however, students can take a bus from a stop within the district boundaries. Once enrolled, students do not need to renew approval annually; they can attend the district’s schools until graduation.
- 2024-25 date information: Enrollment dates: To be announced
Center Line Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-510-2000
- School of Choice rules: Limited openings for grades 1-12. Macomb County residents only. Parents are responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Enrollment dates: To be announced
Chippewa Valley Schools
- District phone number: 586-723-2000
- School of Choice rules: Open for grades K-11. Available to residents of Macomb County. Parents are responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available Feb. 13-Aug. 28, 2024
Clintondale Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-791-6300
- School of Choice rules: Open for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne residents in grades K-12. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available April 1-Sept. 27, 2024
Eastpointe Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-533-3000
- School of Choice rules: Openings vary by school. Available to residents of Macomb, Wayne, Oakland, St. Clair and Lapeer counties. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Enrollment dates: To be announced
Fitzgerald Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-757-1750
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited openings for Macomb, Oakland and Wayne County residents. Parents are responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: K-5 enrollment: March 1-Aug. 29, 2024; 6-12 enrollment: March 1-Aug. 9, 2024
Fraser Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-439-7000
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spaces in K-11 for Macomb County residents. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available now-Aug. 30, 2024
Lake Shore Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-285-8481
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spaces in grades K-11 for Macomb County residents.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available Feb. 13-Sept. 6, 2-24
Lakeview Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-445-4000
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited openings in Kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade. For Macomb County residents only.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available now-Aug. 9, 2024
L’Anse Creuse Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-783-6300
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spaces for grades K-5; limited spaces for grades 6-11.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications open for grades K-5 Feb. 8-Aug 30, 2024; applications due for grades 6-11 by May 30, 2024
Mount Clemens Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-469-6100
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots available in grades K-12. Parents responsible for transportation. Must be a resident of Macomb County or another surrounding county.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available April 1-Sept. 6, 2024
New Haven Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-749-5123
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots for K-12. Macomb County residents only; siblings of current students are given priority. Family responsible for transportation and students are required to be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the end of school.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available March 4-Sept. 6, 2024
Richmond Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-727-3565
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots available for K-12. In the event that spots run out, there will be a lottery held. Parents are responsible for transportation, though they have some school of choice bus stops available.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available now-Sept. 6, 2024
Romeo Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-752-0200
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots available for Young 5-11. Intra-district transfers only available among elementary schools.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available for grades K-8 March 11-Aug. 23, 2024; applications available for grades 9-11 by April 10-May 9, 2024
Roseville Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-445-5500
- School of Choice rules: Open to Macomb County residents only. Unlimited spots for K-12. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available Feb. 22-Sept. 5, 2024
South Lake Schools
- District phone number: 586-435-1600
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots available for K-12. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available beginning in May 2024
Utica Community Schools
- District phone number: 586-797-1000
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots for K-12. Residents of Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, Lapeer and St. Clair counties encouraged to apply. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available Jan. 3-Aug. 29, 2024
Van Dyke Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-757-6600
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots for Macomb County residents in K-12. Limited spots for non-Macomb residents in K-6, 9 and 10. If a non-resident is accepted and has a sibling in grades 7, 8, 11 or 12, their sibling will be considered for a spot. Parents responsible for transportation.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available March 18-Aug. 15, 2024
Warren Consolidated Schools
- District phone number: 888-492-7543
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots for K-12. Parents responsible for transportation. Student must be a Macomb County resident. The student must also not have a history of suspension or expulsion.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available March 1-Sept. 27, 2024
Warren Woods Public Schools
- District phone number: 586-439-4401
- School of Choice rules: Unlimited spots for K-11. Parents responsible for transportation. Student must be a Macomb County resident.
- 2024-25 date information: Applications available Feb. 1-Aug. 8, 2024
For more information, visit the Macomb Intermediate School District website and click the tab – Macomb Schools.
For more information on living and learning in Macomb County, visit Make Macomb Your Home. Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s A Family Guide to Macomb County.