How to Choose Between Two Different Schools
Divorce can greatly influence parenting decisions, especially major decisions like education. In cases where parents live in two separate households, choosing the right school for the child often requires collaboration—or court intervention. If contested, how do you determine which school or district is in the best interest of your child?
When parents disagree about school choice, either party may file a motion to determine the minor child’s school, where the moving parent will ask the court to order their child be enrolled in a specific school district. These motions are a helpful tool if the issue of school choice remains disputed after repeated attempts to settle the matter. Given the importance of education in a child’s life, the Court will conduct a detailed school analysis before rendering its decision.
The overall goal of a school analysis is to evaluate the merits of each parent’s preferred school and determine where the child will most likely thrive. When conducting a school analysis, the Court will consider each parent’s situation: the parenting time schedule, each parent’s work schedule, commute time to school from each parent’s residence, and more. These factors are important because they directly impact the child’s daily routine, stability, and ability to consistently attend school without undue stress.
Additionally, the Court will rely on school-specific factors, like after-school daycare programs, curriculum, online ratings, and more. Online ratings play an especially big role in conducting a school analysis. Some common and reliable online sources that GALs use to research schools include greatschools.org, publicschoolreview.com, and niche.com. These tools give schools a grade or rating based on factors like diversity, courses, reviews, and other statistics. Searching these databases can often paint a picture of the overall student experience at the school.
Further, considering school-specific factors can help coparents enter into a parenting agreement that works for all parties involved. Exploring the characteristics of the school itself will help the Court decide in accordance with the family or child’s specific needs.
In cases where the Court appoints a Guardian ad litem (“GAL”), they will likely request that the GAL conduct the school analysis and make a recommendation. During the investigation, the GAL will prioritize the child’s strengths, weaknesses, and learning style as well as factors regarding parenting time schedule, parents’ work schedules, school time schedule, and all other issues discussed here to recommend the school best for the child.
Interviews with the child’s educators provide insight on how the child behaves in an academic setting. Educators can detail both parents’ involvement in the child’s school and personal life. They can offer information regarding who picks up the child every day, which parent volunteers at school, and who attends parent-teacher conferences. It is common for the GAL to interview teachers and other educators working with the child if there is already a status quo school.
Notably, timing is essential because summer only lasts three months and these issues tend to be brought up in that time frame, with the need for resolution before school starts.
After a full consideration of the evidence as to the two schools and other factors, the Court will make their decision and order the minor child attend school with a best interest standard guiding the way.
Our team at The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson knows the importance of choosing a school that is right for your child. Further, Erin Wilson often serves as a GAL and has extensive experience with complicated school analysis issues. To schedule a free consultation, feel free to contact our office at 312-767-4220.
NOTICE: This blog is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as providing legal advice. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have regarding this blog post.