Controlled Open Enrollment (COE)- FAQs

A: The St. Johns County School District offers additional school choice options through Controlled Open Enrollment.

In accordance with Florida Statute 1002.31, Controlled Open Enrollment allows any student who resides in the State of Florida to apply to attend a school that is not assigned to them based on their residential address. Each Florida school district is required to adopt a Controlled Open Enrollment plan that permits parents to enroll their child in any public school that has not reached capacity, provided the parent assumes responsibility for transportation.

A: A determination of available schools, is made every 12 weeks and will be posted on the school district’s website. This is done by comparing the enrollment at each school to the permanent building capacity. If enrollment is less than 90% of the building capacity, a school is placed on the controlled open enrollment list.

Since Pre-Kindergarten (PK) programs are not mandatory, Controlled Open Enrollment options are not available for VPK students. 

A: Applications are available on the school district’s website during the designated enrollment window. One application must be submitted for each applicant, and families may select up to three schools. After the application window closes, families who are awarded seats will be notified during the designated Lottery and Notification Week.

In accordance with state requirements, districts must give preference in the Controlled Open Enrollment process to:

• Dependent children of active-duty military personnel whose relocation is due to military orders
• Children placed in foster care outside of their current school zone
• Children who relocate due to a court-ordered custody change (e.g., separation, divorce, serious illness, or death of a custodial parent)
• Students residing within the district

A: Applications for Controlled Open Enrollment will only be accepted during an open application window.  You can access both an electronic or paper application on the COE website https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/coe/applications/.

Applications are only available during an application window. Electronic applications are submitted online and paper applications must be received before the window closes

A: A parent/guardian will be notified by e-mail of the awarded seat, during the designated awarded notification window. The parent/guardian must accept and enroll the student in the specified school for the designated start date. The parent/guardian will have ten days to respond.  No response will be considered a decline of the seat. 

A: Students subject to a current expulsion or suspension will not be permitted to take advantage of Controlled Open Enrollment.

Controlled Open Enrollment placement may be rescinded if:

• Incorrect or false information was provided in the application.
• Attendance, tardiness, or discipline/behavior problems develop at the receiving school.

A: No. A student who enrolls or transfers under Controlled Open Enrollment may remain at the awarded school until the student completes the highest grade level of the school.  After completion of the terminal grade level, a student must return to their zoned school or apply for and be awarded a new seat through Controlled Open Enrollment.

A: A waitlist will be maintained between application windows; however, a new application must be completed if a seat is not awarded. Waitlists are only utilized during the window in which the application was received and resulted in no seat being awarded. 

There is no appeal process for Controlled Open Enrollment as it is based strictly on a lottery system. 

A: No. Seats cannot be saved for future use. You must only apply during the window in which you intend to transfer or register your child.

A: Yes. ESE students are eligible to apply to all programs and schools, including those available through Controlled Open Enrollment. If selected for a COE school, an IEP team will convene to determine whether the student’s needs can be appropriately met and whether the IEP can be implemented at the selected school. If the school is unable to meet the student’s needs, the student will not be enrolled at that location and will instead be placed at their zoned school or another appropriate placement for services, if they are a resident of St. Johns County.

A: Applicants who are the sibling of a currently enrolled COE student will receive priority preference for placement appropriate to their lottery group (in-county and out-of-county).  Sibling preference only applies if the school of enrollment is designated for COE for the school year of application.  

Applications with a verified sibling applicant will be given a priority to attend the same school by allowing them to take the next number or to be placed on the waitlist only behind other siblings.  If siblings cannot be placed at the same school, a hardship request may be submitted for in-county residents only.

A: No. All St. Johns County high schools are currently operating at or over capacity and do not meet criteria to be a controlled open enrollment school. 

A: Student-Athletes who transfer to another school must comply with the FHSAA Rules of Athletic Eligibility in order to be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics and interscholastic extracurricular activities.

• A student participating in Controlled Open Enrollment, or a choice program is immediately eligible upon enrollment to participate in interscholastic athletics and interscholastic extracurricular activities.
• A student who has not started a sport may seek to immediately join an existing team if the roster for the specific interscholastic or interscholastic extracurricular activity has not reached that activity’s identified maximum size, provided the coach for the activity determines that the student has the requisite skill and ability to participate.
• A student may not participate in a sport if the student participated in that same sport at another school during that school year, unless the student meets one of the following criteria:

1. Dependent children of active-duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders.
2. Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone.
3. Children who have been moved due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a custodial parent.
4. Good cause for participation exists under District or charter school policy.

A: Yes. A student is always  permitted to return to their district zoned school; however, it is recommended that the student return at the end of the marking period or semester, unless extenuating circumstances are present. 

A: No. Transportation must be arranged and provided by the parent/guardian. A transportation Scholarship is available to eligible households through a Family Empowerment Scholarship. Please contact Step Up for Students  https://www.stepupforstudents.org/scholarships/ for an application and information.