Steering clear from the lottery process, Elizabethton City Schools established a more quick, and easier manageable system for new and out-of-zone students.
The system unveiled Cyclone Connection – a registration site for new tuition students and out-of-zone requests – on April 20 as a way to help families know their placement within the system.
“I think from the initial response; it went very well,” Assistant Director of Schools Richard VanHuss said. “With anything that is new, there are a couple of kinks, but overall I thought it went over great. A lot of credit goes to Bekah Price (ECS Public Relations Coordinator). She developed the platform, which was readily available for everyone I had a chance to talk with.”
Applicants still have an opportunity to use the program to receive priority placement. The window for signing up will remain until May 5 at 7 p.m., but Price added that applicant could still apply following the date.
The system is encouraging families to take full advantage of the window to receive priority placement for their school of choice, she added, so that parents know where their students end up for next year.
Priority placement is based on the order in which applications are received, and preference will be given to applicants with siblings or parents in the system, as it has been in the past.
Price indicated that parents who apply during the enrollment window would be notified of their students’ places in line in mid-May. On the first half day of school, school administrators will confirm acceptance of these new tuition and new out-of-zone requests. At this time, parents should complete enrollment paperwork at the school.
Due to recent improvements at Elizabethton High School and T.A. Dugger, extra spaces are available.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were an estimated 20 spots available at T.A. Dugger while “dozens” of spots were still on the table at EHS.
In a statement released by the school system, returning students do not to apply online.
“Parents of returning tuition students and out-of-zone students do not need to apply online. At elementary schools only, parents of returning tuition and out-of-zone students should complete a form at the school that indicates their intentions to return as a tuition or out-of-zone student.  New tuition students do not take precedence over current tuition students. The only way a current tuition student can be moved out of the system is from an influx of in-zone students, which has not been an issue in over a decade,” the statement read.
For more information or to use Cyclone Connection, visit ECSchools.net and check the Student Registration section under Parents & Students tab. A link is also available of the Elizabethton City Schools Facebook page.