A5 School Choice 2026-2027 (formerly Cluster Choice)

Anderson School District Five offers School Choice for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. School Choice is the ability for a student to apply to another school within Anderson School District Five. Students must be in good academic, attendance, and behavioral standing to be considered for the School Choice Program.

At the beginning of each academic year, space availability is determined at each school. Elementary students may choose ONE school within the district they prefer to attend. Middle school students may apply to Glenview, McCants, or Robert Anderson Middle School. High school students may apply to attend either T.L. Hanna High School or Westside High School. Students in grades 9 - 12 must be in the proper student classification based on the criteria identified in Policy IKE-Promotion and Retention. School Choice is not available to students who are in Pre-K3 or Pre-K4.

Anderson Five will begin accepting applications for School Choice for the 2026-2027 academic year on January 21st at 8:00 am. The School Choice application will CLOSE at 4:30pm on February 27, 2026. An application must be submitted for each child living in a household.

Due to space limitations at schools, not every student who applies for School Choice will be approved. The school district utilizes a lottery process to randomly select students for each school with more requests than space available. On March 19, 2026, those who applied for School Choice will receive an email informing them if their student has been approved for School Choice, OR if their student has been placed in the lottery. The lottery will occur at 9:00am on March 25th, 2026 at the District Office (400 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625) and is recorded for transparency. Parents will be notified of lottery results via email on March 27, 2026.

A Mandatory Parent Meeting will be held on April 15, 2026 at the Anderson Institute of Technology (315 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625). There are two sessions available to attend: 11:30am or 5:30pm. All parents/guardians of students newly accepted into the School Choice Program for the 2026-2027 academic year must attend one of these sessions on April 16, 2026.

USE THE BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE SCHOOL CHOICE APPLICATION:

FAQ

Use the arrows below to expand responses to frequently asked questions regarding School Choice in Anderson Five.

What is School Choice?

School Choice is the ability to apply for another school within Anderson School District Five.

Calhoun Academy of the Arts	Centerville Elementary School
Concord Elementary School	Homeland Park Primary School
Midway Elementary School	McLees Elementary School
Nevitt Forest Elementary School	New Prospect Elementary School
North Pointe Elementary School	Varennes Elementary School
Glenview Middle School	Whitehall Elementary School
McCants Middle School	Robert Anderson Middle School
T.L. Hanna High School	Westside High School

Elementary school students have the option to choose ONE school that they would prefer to attend.
Middle school students have the option to choose ONE middle school (Glenview, McCants, or Robert Anderson) that they would prefer to attend.
High school students can apply to attend T.L. Hanna High School if they are zoned for Westside High School or apply to attend Westside High School if they are zoned for T.L. Hanna High School. Students in Grades 9-12 must be in the proper student classification based on the criteria identified in Policy IKE-Promotion and Retention.

Is my child eligible to apply for School Choice as a high school student?

Yes, your child may apply for School Choice as a high school student. However, he/she must be in the proper student classification based on the criteria identified in Policy IKE – Promotion and Retention. School Choice participation may affect your child's eligibility to participate in academic and/or varsity school sports for one calendar year. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to check with the school’s Athletic Director or the South Carolina High School League (www.schsl.org) regarding eligibility requirements for athletics. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to check with the school’s Principal to determine eligibility requirements for academic programs.

How can I apply for School Choice?

When does the School Choice Application open, and when does it close?

What happens after I apply?

What is the School Choice Lottery?

Due to limited space at schools, not all students who apply for School Choice will be approved. For schools where applications exceed available space, each student applicant will be assigned a unique number, which will be shared with parents/guardians via email on March 19, 2026. District officials will use a random number generator to select numbers equal to the available spaces at each school.

The lottery will occur on March 25, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room at the District Office (400 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625). To ensure transparency, the process will be recorded.

How is the lottery conducted?

What happens if we are approved for School Choice?

Upon acceptance, parents/guardians will receive an email and a mailed status letter. As part of the School Choice program, parents/guardians will be required to attend the School Choice Program Mandatory Parent Meeting on April 16, 2026 at the Anderson Institute of Technology. There are two sessions available to attend on April 16, 2026. Parents/guardians must attend ONE: 11:30am OR 5:30pm.

Additionally, you will be asked to sign the School Choice Parent Contract that outlines your commitment to certain principles of the program. A copy of this Parent Contract can be viewed here.

What happens if we are not approved for School Choice?

Do I have to provide transportation for my student if they are approved for School Choice?

If my student is approved, does my School Choice approval carry over to the following year(s)?

Yes, School Choice approval is continuous throughout the entirety of elementary, middle, and high school. Parents are not required to fill out a renewal application for their nonresident student to remain enrolled in the school. After a nonresident student is enrolled in a school for a full school year, that that sudent will matriculate through the district's traditional feeder pattern from elementary school to middle school, and from middle school to high school.

My child is currently attending a school through the School Choice program, but we would like to change schools again for the 2026-2027 academic year. Is this allowed?

My child is currently attending a school through the School Choice program, but we would like to return back to our zoned school for the 2026-2027 academic year. Is this allowed?

Yes, students currently attending a school through the School Choice program may choose to return to their zoned school for the 2026-2027 academic year. However, students who return to their zoned school are considered withdrawn from the School Choice program and will not be eligible to reapply for the program in the future.

If a current School Choice student wishes to return to their zoned school, they must notify the Office of Student Services to confirm their intent and withdrawal from the program.

My child was dismissed from their School Choice school. Can we reapply?

For additional questions about the School Choice program, you can email [email protected]