New Guidelines Approved for In-District School Choice & Out-of-District Tuition Students 

While school attendance zones are based on each student’s home address, District 7 also offers families the option of applying to attend a different school within the district through our School Choice (in-district) and Out-of-District Tuition Students programs. This past February, D7's Board of Trustees approved guidelines proposed by our administration for managing the School Choice and Out-of-District Tuition process. The guidelines largely reflect the procedures we have been following for some time, but provide a greater level of detail for our parents and community to help clarify and provide transparency around the application and acceptance process and timeline. 

The annual application periods are March 1–31 for rising 1st–12th grades and July 15–31 for rising 5K. 

If you wish to enroll your child in a school other than the one he/she currently attends, you must submit a School Choice Application during the application window. If your student is already participating in School Choice or as an Out-of-District Tuition student, you DO NOT need to reapply.

Open the accordions below for key points from the newly approved guidelines:

Application Period for Rising 1st - 12th Grades: MARCH 1-31, 2024
(Parents will be notified of their status by April 30)

Application Period for Rising 5K: JULY 15-31, 2024
(Parents will be notified of their status by August 7)

As a reminder, students currently on School Choice or Out-of-District Tuition DO NOT need to apply again – they will continue to be enrolled at their current school (if entering middle school, they will be enrolled in the middle school associated with the current elementary school they attend). If your student is currently on School Choice/Out-of-District Tuition and you wish to cancel your participation and return to your zoned school, please let us know via email here.

Full guidelines and information regarding School Choice and Out-of-District Tuition enrollment can be found here.

Requirements and Important Information for Participation

• Families on School Choice and Out-of-District Tuition must provide transportation for their children to and from school.

• Out-of-district tuition for 2024-2025 will be $1,800 for a family's first student, with reduced tuition for additional students. (Fees are waived for District 7 employees.)

• Accepted students must remain at the approved school throughout the entire school year. The parent/guardian may apply for a different school during the next application window.

• Athletic Eligibility for Middle School Students - Families should be aware of the rules of the South Carolina High School League, which determines eligibility for interscholastic athletics and activities for middle and high school students. The principal and athletic director at each middle school should be consulted prior to applying. A rising 8th grade student who accepts a choice/out-of-district option may lose one year of athletic eligibility.

• Students enrolled in special education programs that are offered at all schools may be accepted if space is available within those programs at the requested school. Students enrolled in special education programs offered only at specific sites must continue to attend one of those sites.

Eligibility Requirements 

To be considered, a student must meet all the following criteria at the time of application:

• Live with legal guardian(s) within the boundaries of District 7 (only for students applying for in-district School Choice)

• Meet District 7’s discipline, attendance, tardy, and academic grade criteria

• Have not had a previous School Choice or Out-of-District Tuition acceptance revoked

Consideration of Applicants 

• School Choice applicants will be considered first. If space is available after School Choice applications have been processed, residents who live outside of Spartanburg School District 7's attendance zone will be considered for enrollment as Out-Of-District Tuition Students. 

• Applicants who have a sibling who is 1) currently enrolled in the requested school AND 2) will continue to attend the requested school for the next school year will be considered before other applicants. Admission for siblings is not guaranteed – it is only available as space allows in schools and grade levels open to new applications for that year. When the number of eligible sibling applicants exceeds the available spaces, a lottery will determine sibling acceptances.

• Once sibling applicants have been considered, all other applicants will be considered. When the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, a lottery will determine acceptances.

Available Spaces for the 2024-2025 School Year for D7 Employee Requests, In-District School Choice and Out-of-District Tuition Students 

Jesse Boyd Elementary
2nd Grade – 5 spaces
3rd Grade – 5 spaces
4th Grade – 5 spaces

Cleveland Academy of Leadership
1st Grade – 9 spaces
3rd Grade – 7 spaces
4th Grade – 6 spaces
5th Grade – 7 spaces 

EP Todd School
2nd Grade – 6 spaces
3rd Grade – 4 spaces
5th Grade – 9 spaces 

Mary H. Wright Elementary
2nd Grade – 8 spaces 
3rd Grade – 5 spaces 
4th Grade – 10 spaces 
5th Grade – 7 spaces 

Pine Street Elementary
2nd Grade – 5 spaces 
3rd Grade – 5 spaces

Spartanburg High School
(for Out-of-District Tuition Students)

Drayton Mills Elementary, Carver Middle and McCracken Middle are CLOSED to new applicants. Available 5K spaces will be published in July.

While we cannot guarantee every request will be fulfilled, every application will be considered according to the selection criteria.

Information for Current School Choice/Out-of-District Tuition Students 

• Once approved, students do not need to reapply each year.

• Students will automatically move up to the secondary school their choice/out-of-district approved school is zoned to attend.

• Students must continue to meet disciplinary, attendance, grades, and tardy criteria, and all needed services must be available at their choice/out-of-district approved school. Students may be required to return to their zoned school at any time if these criteria are no longer met.

• Students who withdraw from District 7 are not guaranteed to continue as School Choice or Out-of-District Tuition students if they re-enroll in District 7. A new application must be submitted.

Application Timelines for 2024–2025

Rising 1st–12th Grades:

• March 1–31, 2024

• Parents should be notified of their application status by April 30, 2024

• No School Choice or Out-of-District Tuition applications will be taken or considered outside the March 1-31 application window.

The order of application submission does not impact a student's chance of acceptance. As noted in the guidelines, applications are no longer processed on a first-come, first-served basis. To be as fair as possible to all who apply, a lottery will determine the order of processing applications when the number of applicants exceeds the number of available spaces. 

Rising 5K:  

• July 15–31, 2024

• Parents should be notified of their application status by August 7.

• No School Choice or Out-of-District Tuition applications for 5K will be taken or considered outside the July 15–31 application window.

• Space availability for 5K will be posted on this page in early July.

• The application link for 5K will be posted on this page on July 15.