Application for Expanded Choice or Magnet programs is easy! First you need to register with the system. To do so click on the Register link on the top of this page. You'll need a valid email address to complete registration. Once registered you will be automatically logged into the system and you will also receive an email verifying your registration and providing you with your account details.

Now that I am a registered user what's the next step?

Once you complete registration you will need to add an applicant to your account. Applicant is another way of saying student and applicant refers to those individuals for whom you have legal guardianship over and for whom you wish to apply for Expanded Choice, Magnet Program, AVID Early College or Richland Two eSchool Program. You must add at least one student before you will be allowed to add any applications. You can always add more students. There is no limit on the number of applicants you can add to your account, however, applicants are limited to three (3) programs maximum each.

I have added my applicant information, now what?

Now that you have at least one applicant associated with your account you are ready to add an application, or applications, to that applicant's profile. Adding applications is easy. Simply click the "Add an Application" button and you will be presented with a series of panels asking you which program type you wish to apply for (i.e. Expanded Choice, Magnet Program, or AVID Early College or Richland Two eSchool Program), which specific program within that program type (i.e. Expanded Choice: Richland Northeast High School, Magnet Program: TWO Academies, the AVID Early College or Richland Two eSchool Program etc) and finally specific information that needs to be collected based on that specific program.

I Am Done Adding Applications, What Now?

You do not need to do anything further once you have submitted your applications. During the application period, you may log back in and:

• Add, change, or delete student information.
• Add, change, or delete applications that have not yet been submitted.
• Review the requirements of each application thoroughly, as some programs have additional requirements, such as interviews or supplemental information that must be completed before selection.

Important: Once an application has been submitted, no changes can be made to that application.

Is There Anything Else I Should Know?

Yes, please read the information about Expanded Choice, Magnet Programs, AVID Early College or Richland Two eSchool Program so you have a clear understanding of how each is different. Richland School District Two prides itself on its vast array of program offerings. Each program is unique, requiring different criteria and expectations; therefore, it is extremely important that you are knowledgeable about the programs in which your applicant is interested.

The Lottery Process

Not all programs offered by the district are placed by lottery selection. The lottery number assignment process is automated and not subject to individual assignment.

During the choice process administrators will indicate their readiness for the lottery process to proceed at which time the expanded choice administrator will initiate the process that selects students at random from their respective pools and assigns them a number. The numbers are sequential, meaning for a program with 50 applicants 50 lottery numbers, 1 through 50, will be assigned at random. No weighting or other criteria are used for this selection and assignment.

To prevent tampering assigned lottery numbers are encrypted during the lottery process and decrypted for program administrators when selections are made. At no time is the data stored in raw form.

The district uses industry accepted best practices for random number generation and assignment.

Expanded Choice

Parents who exercise any of the choice options must provide transportation for their children. Students are expected to remain at the choice school until they move to the next level (elementary-middle-high) at which time they may apply for another choice. Parents and students are encouraged to exercise their choice options by selecting the school and programs that best meet their needs.

The District uses a Net 20 selection. With Net 20, each school open for Expanded Choice is allowed 20 transfer slots through the Choice process. The 20 slots may increase based on the number of students leaving that school through the Choice program. For example, if 13 students utilize “Expanded Choice” to attend another school, then that school losing the 13 students will have 20 transfer slots plus the additional 13 slots for a total of 33 slots.

Magnet Choice

Richland School District Two has a commitment to create world-class instructional programs that provide unique, high-quality learning opportunities and experiences for students. To this end, we are pleased to offer our magnet programs.

The instructional focus of our magnet programs is tailored to specific educational goals and outcomes. Our magnet programs provide ample choices that match the interests and aptitudes of selected students in our elementary, middle, and high schools.

The design of the magnet programs meets specific needs and reflects distinct educational philosophies. Each of these programs provides students with individual attention and challenging coursework geared to nurture their unique interests. Each offers diverse opportunities such as a particular teaching method, special course offerings, and an emphasis on a specific field of study.

Interested students throughout the district are encouraged to apply for admission to the magnet program of their choice. All students who live in the Richland School District Two attendance zone, as well as those who are affiliated with Fort Jackson, are eligible for admission into the district’s magnet programs. Magnet programs are an extension of our commitment to provide optimum learning settings for all of our students.

Admission is based on successful completion of the application process, which includes meeting qualifying criteria. Each magnet program has limited enrollment capacity. Upon acceptance, students must transfer to the magnet’s host school and provide their own transportation.

For elementary school students, priority is given to siblings applying to a Magnet program where another sibling has been accepted. Siblings entering the same school that another sibling attends must be listed on the Magnet application form to be considered for priority placement. During the selection process, if one student is accepted and the sibling is not, the sibling is added to the top of the waitlist. If a parent declines a seat, the waitlisted sibling is able to be selected. However, the caveat is if the parent of the sibling accepts a lower priority ranking (you get up to three choices), the student is removed from the waitlist to prevent holding two spots. For example, if the sibling is offered his/her 2nd choice and accepts the offer, he/she will no longer be on the waitlist for the 1st choice magnet. If the student neither accepts or declines (no response), the sibling will stay on the waitlist. If the offer is declined, the student will stay on the waitlist. Placement is based on space availability.

For middle and high school selective Magnet programs, each student must be selected on his/her own merit. There is no sibling policy for middle and high school selective programs. However, a sibling may request a sibling transfer to attend the school (not the magnet) where the sibling’s magnet is housed. (Download and fill out the Sibling Transfer Request Form.) For middle and high school programs with lottery selection, siblings can request a sibling transfer. (Download and fill out the Sibling Transfer Request Form.) Placement is based on space availability.

AVID Early College

Just think about earning college credit while in high school without the tuition bills. Rising ninth graders residing in Richland School District Two may be eligible to earn up to two (2) years of college credits from the University of South Carolina - Sumter. The Richland Two AVID Early College started their cohort of freshmen beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

The AVID Early College is open to students who are willing to become part of the AVID class for all four years of high school. Eligibility will be determined through a number of factors to include eighth grade PSAT score (if taken) or MAP and Lexile scores. The Richland Two AVID Early College was established and is still housed at Ridge View High School. Rising ninth graders can apply now regardless of their attendance zone or magnet school selections.

The Richland Two AVID Early College is offered in partnership with UofSC - Sumter, and students have the potential to graduate high school to start college as a second-semester sophomore or first-semester junior. Completion of the coursework will require strict adhesion to the four-year plan for completion of all courses and will require summer courses in the summer before their Junior and Senior years. Early Bird classes may be required some semesters. Furthermore, students in the Early College may have a difficult time scheduling to take Fine Arts electives (e.g. Chorus, Orchestra, & Band). Students in the Early College will not take any Advanced Placement (AP) classes but will instead take dual-credit courses with UofSC and Richland Two faculty. With the credits from the University of South Carolina, accepted students may transfer to a public state college or university as a junior (depending on your major).

Our goal in offering the AVID Early College is to pave a realistic and more affordable pathway to a four-year college degree for students who may consider college and the expenses associated with college out of their reach. Students in the AVID Early College will take rigorous coursework and will benefit from college and career planning and academic coaching through the AVID class. There is NO cost to district students who attend except for textbooks. Funds to pay UofSC - Sumter are being provided by the SC Lottery system and use of these funds does not take away from a student’s ability to use four years of lottery funding after high school. Using these funds does require that a student in the Early College maintain a 3.0 GPA or future use of lottery funds is forfeited.

Accepted students will attend high school at Ridge View High School. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination and is a college-readiness system that prepares students for success in high school, college, and careers.

Richland Two eSchool Program

Richland Two’s eSchool is a full-time virtual learning program for students in grades 6–12 that offers the flexibility of learning from home through live, teacher-led instruction. Our rigorous program provides personalized learning opportunities aligned with South Carolina academic standards while helping students develop independence, self-advocacy, and the skills needed for academic success.

eSchool is an excellent option for families seeking a flexible learning environment that meets their student’s unique needs, including those balancing extracurricular commitments, work schedules, or medical circumstances. Students who thrive in this program are engaged, self-motivated, and willing to collaborate with teachers while taking responsibility for their learning.

Although instruction takes place online, students are required to attend in-person testing and enrichment activities, with transportation provided by families. Richland Two provides students with a learning device, while families are responsible for reliable internet access.

Families interested in eSchool may apply during Richland Two’s Choice I and Choice II application periods.

Qualifications for School Choice

• Each year, based on the expected enrollment and capacity of each school, the school district decides which schools and programs will be open to Choice as well as how many students can be approved to attend a school through Choice.
• TTo apply for Choice, students must be verified as residents of Richland School District Two. Families must provide their current residential address, which the district will verify electronically. Additional documentation may be requested if residency cannot be verified.
• Richland Two residents whose children are not currently enrolled in a Richland Two school (e.g., private school, charter school, homeschool, or entering school for the first time) are eligible to apply for Choice. Families must provide their current residential address as part of the application process. The district will verify residency electronically and request additional documentation only when necessary.
• Students who are currently in kindergarten through 11th grade may apply for Choice. In addition, students who will begin kindergarten in the upcoming year may apply.
• Preschool age students (ages three and four) are not eligible to use Choice to gain entry into a preschool program (except for applying to Montessori at Pontiac). The Center for Child Development (CFCD) handles all pre-K applications and enrollments.
• Students receiving special education may apply for choice to a magnet school, magnet program, virtual school, or another school within the district through the Choice program. During application periods, parents/guardians apply online and follow the district’s school choice process. The decision to grant the choice request is based on the student’s programming needs and program capacity at the school of choice. Richland Two adheres to state special education program capacity guidelines. Once a student is granted choice, all district transportation rules apply and the student is no longer eligible to receive district transportation, including Special Needs Transportation to and from school. Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation to their school of choice.
• Parents whose children participate in any of the district's Choice programs must provide transportation for their children to and from school. The inability of a student to meet the attendance expectations of the Choice school will lead to Choice being revoked. In that case, the student must then return to the zoned school.
• A Sibling Transfer is a transfer granted for a student when the student’s sibling is attending or will attend the requested school during the same year through an approved District transfer. In order to qualify for this allowance, a student must reside in the same household as the student approved for the District transfer. The sibling transfer may be used to allow the requesting sibling to transfer into a school without participating in Choice or transfer into a school when one student is selected for a transfer through Choice and the other sibling is not.
• Once a student is granted a sibling transfer, the student may remain at the school for the remainder of that level (Elem. Middle, High) as long as the student's parent/guardian continues to reside in Richland Two.
• The rules of the South Carolina High School League determine eligibility for interscholastic athletics and activities for middle and high school students. The Richland School District Two’s athletic intra-district transfer rules and procedures also apply. It is the parents’ and students’ responsibility to be aware of these athletic procedures before applying for a school transfer. Any student who accepts a transfer and participates in an athletic activity at the transfer school during the spring or summer (cheerleading tryouts, spring football practice, summer team camps) may have their eligibility affected. If you have questions regarding school transfers and participation in interscholastic athletics, please contact your school’s athletic director prior to applying for a transfer, accepting a transfer, practicing with a team or attending a school other than your zoned school. Additionally, many eligibility concerns are addressed in the athletics frequently asked questions.
• Employee and School Board Choice provides eligible employees and school board members with an enrollment option separate from the regular Expanded Choice process. This option does not include Child Development. Employees seeking admission to Magnet Programs, Magnet Centers, AVID Early College, or Richland Two eSchool must apply through the regular Choice application process. Employee and School Board Choice eligibility is contingent upon continued qualifying employment or board service.
• Any student attending a school through Choice must maintain exemplary punctuality and attendance at school, cooperate with the school in regards to academic and disciplinary expectations and provide transportation to and from school. The student must be a resident of Richland School District Two.
• If approved for a Richland School District Two School Choice program, a student does not need to apply yearly for the same program. Choice approvals are valid for the duration of a student's stay at the approved school until they change schools or move out of Richland School District Two. There are circumstances that will cause a student to have their Choice revoked pertaining to poor attendance, lack of cooperation with the school and academic performance in programs (magnets, AVID) that require maintenance.