A5 Cluster Choice 2025-2026

Anderson School District Five offers Cluster Choice for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Cluster Choice is the ability for a student to apply to another school within the cluster (T.L. Hanna or Westside) in which they reside. Students must demonstrate good behavior standing to be considered for the Cluster Choice Program.

At the beginning of each academic year, space availability is determined at each school. Elementary students may choose ONE school within their cluster they prefer to attend. Middle school students zoned for McCants may apply to Glenview, those zoned for Glenview may apply to McCants, and students zoned for Robert Anderson may apply for limited seating available at Southwood Academy of the Arts. Cluster Choice is not available to students who are in Pre-K3 or Pre-K4.

Anderson Five will begin accepting applications for Cluster Choice for the 2025-2026 academic year on January 15th at 4:30pm. The Cluster Choice application will CLOSE at 4:30pm on February 14, 2025. An application must be submitted for each child living in a household.

Due to space limitations at schools, not every student who applies for Cluster Choice will be approved. The school district utilizes a lottery process to randomly select students for each school with more requests than space available. On March 21, 2025, those who applied for Cluster Choice will receive an email informing them if their student has been approved for Cluster Choice, OR if their student has been placed in the lottery. The lottery will occur at 9:00am on March 26th at the District Office (400 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625) and is recorded for transparency. Parents will be notified of lottery results via email on March 28th.

A Mandatory Parent Meeting will be held on April 16, 2025 at the Anderson Institute of Technology (315 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625). There are two sessions available to attend: 11:30am or 5:30pm. All parents/guardians of students newly accepted into the Cluster Choice Program for the 2025-2026 academic year must attend one of these sessions on April 16th.

USE THE BUTTON BELOW TO ACCESS THE CLUSTER CHOICE APPLICATION:

FAQ

Use the arrows below to expand responses to frequently asked questions regarding Cluster Choice in Anderson Five.

What is Cluster Choice?

Cluster Choice is the ability to apply for another school within the cluster (TL Hanna or Westside) that you reside.

T.L. Hanna Cluster	Westside Cluster
Calhoun Academy of the Arts	Centerville Elementary School
Concord Elementary School	Homeland Park Primary School
Midway Elementary School	McLees Elementary School
Nevitt Forest Elementary School	New Prospect Elementary School
North Pointe Elementary School	Varennes Elementary School
Glenview Middle School	Whitehall Elementary School
McCants Middle School	Robert Anderson Middle School*

Elementary school students have the option to choose ONE school in their cluster (TL Hanna or Westside) that they would prefer to attend.

Middle school students zoned for McCants may apply to Glenview, and students zoned for Glenview may apply to McCants.

*Middle school students zoned for Robert Anderson may apply for limited seating available at Southwood Academy of the Arts.

How can I apply for Cluster Choice?

When does the Cluster Choice Application open, and when does it close?

What happens after I apply?

What is the Cluster Choice Lottery?

Due to limited space at schools, not all students who apply for Cluster School Choice will be approved. For schools where applications exceed available space, each student applicant will be assigned a unique number, which will be shared with parents/guardians via email on March 21. District officials will use a random number generator to select numbers equal to the available spaces at each school.

The lottery will occur on March 26 at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room at the District Office (400 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625). To ensure transparency, the process will be recorded.

How is the lottery conducted?

What happens if we are approved for Cluster Choice?

Upon acceptance, parents/guardians will receive an email and a mailed status letter. As part of the Cluster Choice program, parents/guardians will be required to attend the Cluster Choice Program Mandatory Parent Meeting on April 16th at the Anderson Institute of Technology. There are two sessions available to attend on April 16th. Parents/guardians must attend ONE: 11:30am OR 5:30pm.

Additionally, you will be asked to sign the Cluster Choice Parent Contract that outlines your commitment to certain principles of the program. A copy of this Parent Contract can be viewed here.

What happens if we are not approved for Cluster Choice?

Do I have to provide transportation for my student if they are approved for Cluster Choice?

If my elementary school student is approved, does my Cluster Choice approval carry over to the following year(s)?

If my middle school student is approved, does my Cluster Choice approval carry over to the following year(s)?

My child is currently attending a school through the Cluster Choice program, but we would like to change schools again for the 2025-2026 academic year. Is this allowed?

My child is currently attending a school through the Cluster Choice program, but we would like to return back to our zoned school for the 2025-2026 academic year. Is this allowed?

Yes, students currently attending a school through the Cluster Choice program may choose to return to their zoned school for the 2025-2026 academic year. However, students who return to their zoned school are considered withdrawn from the Cluster Choice program and will not be eligible to reapply for the program in the future.

If a current Cluster Choice student wishes to return to their zoned school, they must notify the Office of Student Services to confirm their intent and withdrawal from the program.

My child was dismissed from their Cluster Choice school. Can we reapply?

What do I do if I have additional questions?