(BRADENTON FL - January 16, 2006) With the School Choice Open Enrollment Period for the 2007-2008 school year scheduled from Monday, Jan. 29th to Friday, Feb. 16th, the Manatee School District's award-winning Parent Information Center is preparing for one of its busiest times of the year.

The three week Open Enrollment Period is the only time during the year when parents of students who wish to attend a school other than the one to which they are zoned can apply to move without providing a reason.

Located at 234 Manatee Avenue East, about a mile from the district's main offices, the Parent Information Center helps guide parents and students through the school choice process, school registrations and a wide range of other vital services related to student needs.

“We're really here to be a one-stop center for parents where they can come to get all of their questions answered,” said School Choice Specialist Sheryl Riker, who has run the center since it opened four years ago.

“We deal with questions about magnet schools, exceptional student education, tutoring and more,” Riker said. “Sometimes we get questions we don't have the answers to, but instead of just giving them a number to call, we try to put them in touch with someone who can answer their questions. We have the contacts so that any type of question that a parent might ask, we can at least try to get them where they need to go.”

The PIC, as it is known, has become so proficient at helping parents that it was honored as an “Exemplary” Parent Information Center during a statewide School Choice Conference held in Tampa in July 2006. The PIC's reputation has also earned interest from federal education authorities who plan to visit the center to learn more about its operations.

One of the things that makes the Manatee District's PIC unique is that it is the home-base for other important services such as The Family Involvement Team, The 21st Century Grant, Project HEART and the Parent Education And Resource Learning Services program.

The Family Involvement Team, under the direction of Dr. Sheila Mungillo, works with Title I schools, which are schools that receive federal funding because they have a high concentration of low-socioeconomic students. The Family Involvement Team helps boost parental involvement at those schools by holding an assortment of workshops and educational opportunities that give parents the tools to help their children succeed academically.

Sheryl Riker has run the award-winning Parent Information Center since it opened four years ago

School Choice Specialist Sheryl Riker helps parents at the district's Parent Information Center

The 21st Century Grant is a federally funded grant which provides money for before-school, after-school and summer programs at five Title I schools. Grant services include tutoring in academic subjects as well as leisure activities, such as organized sports.

“The purpose is to keep the kids off the street after school, keep them safe and give their parents the security that my child is being taken care of,” said Patricia Dezso, Coordinator of the 21st Century Grant. “By doing that, we can help to reduce crime in those areas where those schools are located.”

Project HEART is a federally funded program that assists students of families who meet the definition of homelessness, or are in immediate danger of becoming homeless. Approximately 3,000 children a year in Manatee County will meet that definition, according to Project HEART Coordinator Deb Bailey.

“When a family is in crisis, a lot of times education is on the bottom of the list of priorities,” Bailey said. “The goal is to get these children in school, and then once they are in school to provide them with the support services that they need to be successful.”

The Parent Education And Resource Learning Services program is another federally funded grant effort based at the PIC. The PEARLS program helps parents understand their rights and responsibilities in education, according to Director Linda Welch.

One of the ways the PEARLS program helps is by holding Parent Leadership Institutes that teach parents to understand school data such as student results on the FCAT, so they can work with their children's teachers to chart a path for success.

When you look at all of the services offered, it's easy to see why Manatee's Parent Information Center has become a model for similar centers in other parts of the state and country.

“You can come here and get academic help for your children or we can give you resources on how you can become empowered in your child's education,” Dr. Sheila Mungillo said. “If you are homeless we can service you here; or if you just don't know where to go and you just need someone to listen to a problem or complaint, we can do that too.”