The emotional and financial impact of school choice in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools

This qualitative, phenomenological study was designed to explore the perceptions of school choice implementation by parents, teachers, and administrators in a small school district in northeastern North Carolina with few school choice options and limited resources. The perceptions of 10 administrators, 18 teachers, and 23 parents in northeastern North Carolina regarding school choice were examined through comprehensive interviews. Participants were selected using a purposeful sampling approach with the administrators and a random sampling method with teachers and parents who were directly involved in the choice schools or the schools in need of improvement. In-depth interviews served as the primary data collection tool. Collected data were analyzed using an inductive data analysis approach to determine themes. Thematic synthesis of the data contributed to a comprehensive understanding of both positive and negative consequences of school choice on school districts as perceived by teachers, parents, and administrators. Established themes included: (a) facility and resource issues, (b) inequity of resources, (c) parental satisfaction with choice, (d) school sabotage, (e) resentment, and (f) renewed commitment towards improvement. Research conclusions confirmed prior literature findings that school choice created financial and emotional burdens on school districts, and created an inequity in resources resented by school staff in choice schools. Individual schools and the district were motivated to eliminate imposed sanctions and prevent further sanctions resulting in district-wide reform Eight recommendations were proposed to enable school leaders to deal more effectively with school choice mandates that include the provision of equitable and consistent services, the incorporation of improved marketing strategies, improved communication with parents, and innovative methods of dealing with disruptive students and massive student movement through the creation of new programs and practices. Recommendations for future research included (a) further evaluation of school choice in other geographic locations, (b) research that allows for continued longitudinal analyses, (c) studies that analyze strategies utilized by schools to address school choice options, and (d) more comprehensive analyses involving targeted student participants.