COSA confusion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I would say depends on the circumstances and the school. If you're wanting to change from a school that is overcrowded, to school that is not overcrowded, it would be easier. If you're trying to switch into school that is overcrowded, it's not going to happen

Yeah the unspoken thing is getting both principals on board, especially the principal if the receiving school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I imagine the form for next school year has not been posted since MP3 and second semester just started. I would expect that form to be released later in the spring toward the end of the school year, not now.

That will give you all summer to fight and wrangle with central office and its rejections and appeals process. Good luck.

Thank you. Is it really so brutal a process?

Forms are usually due from 2/1-4/1. So I expected to see the new form uploaded today.

Not really. My husband and I filled out the forms, were rejected. We appealed and had an interview with a representative who kind of hinted at some things we needed to say in our application to actually get it accepted and then it was approved. Not a bad experience as things go.

Yes, I was going to suggest to OP to keep appealing if she gets rejected. When we needed one ages ago, a member of boe advised this to me. Ours got accepted first time because we were able to get medical documentation. But we were prepared to do the appeals if not. Sorry I don't have a form link, OP. Hope you get it sorted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I would say depends on the circumstances and the school. If you're wanting to change from a school that is overcrowded, to school that is not overcrowded, it would be easier. If you're trying to switch into school that is overcrowded, it's not going to happen

Yeah the unspoken thing is getting both principals on board, especially the principal if the receiving school

This is true. Principals have a lot of discretion. I don't think your current principal matters as much (unless I guess you want them to really advocate for you).

[Anonymous]

I’ve always heard it’s so hard to get a COSA but we are in the Wootton cluster and there’s a family with 3 kids who lives outside the cluster but who has managed to get one for all 3 kids at each school level. This family has no apparent hardship. One parent is an MCPS teacher but in a different cluster and I’ve been told that’s not a factor. We live a block from the school boundary (just within and they are just outside which is how we know them). Also we know of 2 kids who got COSAs to go from Wootton to Churchill. There could have been disabilities involved but we knew the kids well so I don’t think that was it. Obviously it wasn’t childcare related in HS. So people definitely have success and I think you shouldn’t be discouraged if you feel you have a genuine need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also understand that even if you do get the COSA, your child is unable to participate in athletics their entire first year.

I know a kid who got a COSA (in his case to stay in his HS when his family moved) and he got an exemption to keep playing.

[Anonymous]

I Know an MCPS teacher who lives outside the cluster and he got his kid into his cluster using COSA. Then his gf and her 2 kids moved in from another state into his house and a week prior to school starting he used COSA to get the two kids in right away. Is it a teacher perk?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve always heard it’s so hard to get a COSA but we are in the Wootton cluster and there’s a family with 3 kids who lives outside the cluster but who has managed to get one for all 3 kids at each school level. This family has no apparent hardship. One parent is an MCPS teacher but in a different cluster and I’ve been told that’s not a factor. We live a block from the school boundary (just within and they are just outside which is how we know them). Also we know of 2 kids who got COSAs to go from Wootton to Churchill. There could have been disabilities involved but we knew the kids well so I don’t think that was it. Obviously it wasn’t childcare related in HS. So people definitely have success and I think you shouldn’t be discouraged if you feel you have a genuine need.

You have NO idea what family's hardships are. Some may just say they easily got them because they don't wish to discuss why. My child had a harassment incident that resulted in juvenile charges on another child in the school, so both my kids can now attend the new school. We don't discuss it as my child wants to move on, so we just say we applied for closer/better school if anyone nosy asks. If no one asks, we don't talk about it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I Know an MCPS teacher who lives outside the cluster and he got his kid into his cluster using COSA. Then his gf and her 2 kids moved in from another state into his house and a week prior to school starting he used COSA to get the two kids in right away. Is it a teacher perk?

Yes, if you’re at a school that is underenrolled.