In 1996, the Delaware legislature approved a school choice program, which allows families to enroll their children in public and charter schools outside of their designated feeder pattern.
School choice includes both intra-district choice, or moving a student to a different school within the same resident district, or inter-district choice, or moving a student to a different district entirely.
There are no guarantees in Delaware’s school choice program, and some schools may be closed to the choice program because they’re at or above their capacity. If seats become available in a school previously closed to the choice program the wait list will be used to fill them.
Why choose School Choice?
For nearly three decades now, families have chosen to move their students out of a resident school for a variety of reasons, including to seek particular instructional or athletic programs or better educational outcomes, to avoid social or behavioral issues, or to make it more convenient on a family’s work or travel schedules, among others.
Delaware’s school choice program allows Delaware families to apply to enroll their children in any Delaware public school district, charter school, or vocational-technical school, regardless of their home address.
How do I enroll in School Choice?
It’s critical that families first register their child in their school of residence if they’re not already registered in a Delaware public school, and then complete a standard choice application during the school choice application window.
The application window for the 2025-26 school year will be from Nov. 4 until Jan. 8.
After that window closes, the schools process applications based on state and local policy, and some schools may use lotteries.
Families are notified of their application status no later than Feb. 28. If a family has multiple invitations, then only one application can be accepted.
Families should notify schools of their decision by March 21. After accepting an offer, all other applications will be withdrawn or declined.
Students are guaranteed transportation if their home address is within the school district they attend. However, transportation for choice schools often depends on specific policies set by individual school districts.
Delaware has multiple schooling options for its students, and parents can utilize resources, like open houses and information meetings. The Delaware Report Card website provides information to compare data points like enrollment, class size, student behavior, staff ratios and more.
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