School Choice Information

The Central Regional School District is located in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township, drawing students from the nearby areas of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. The district is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Barnegat Bay, and the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey – an area rich in culture, tradition, and environmental learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom.

Starting in seventh grade students create a learning portfolio which will allow teachers to provide an individualized educational plan. Juniors take the PSATs and receive a SAT review course and seniors can take up to 18 college credits at no cost to them through the Humanities Academy – a partnership with Georgian Court University where professors teach on the Central Regional campus. When students start the Humanities Academy as freshmen, they can graduate with 30 college credits. The district also offers a Junior ROTC program beginning with the ninth grade.

New Jersey's Interdistrict Public School Choice Program has enabled our District to provide educational opportunities to students who do not reside within our district and without cost to their parents. The program increases educational opportunities for students and their families by providing students with school options outside of their district of residence and giving parents the power to select a school program that best serves their child's individual needs.

The Public School Choice Program benefits students and parents, as well as the choice districts. Choice programs might have smaller class sizes, increased instructional time, and a school culture more conducive to a student's success in school. Many choice districts have established specialized and innovative programs and courses that focus on areas such as art, music, foreign languages, and technology, and are open to students who demonstrate an interest in the special programs. Opening enrollment to students outside the district can bring in more students interested in taking advantage of these special programs and courses, allowing both the programs and students to grow and flourish.

The state also has many small districts and schools that sometimes experience population shifts that result in budget crunches. Opening enrollment beyond the district's boundaries can alleviate the effects of these shifts and bring greater stability to operations, since choice students bring additional funding to the district. The addition of students with different backgrounds and perspectives from those of the district's resident students also can enrich the school community.