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Out-of-District School Choice

In 2010, Governor Christie signed into law the School Choice Act, which permits public school students to attend public schools outside their resident district. Morris Hills Regional District was approved to accept out-of-district students in 2011. 
 
  • Students who have attended their local public school for the entire prior academic year are eligible to apply for School Choice.
  • Parochial/private school students, homeschooled students, and students attending choice programs in other districts may be considered, depending upon space availability, after eligible Tier 1 public school applicants.
  • Students who live within 20 miles of Morris Hills Regional can obtain either transportation or aid-in-lieu from their resident district. Decisions about transportation are made solely by the resident district.
  • Parents are responsible for transporting students who live over 20 miles from Morris Hills Regional.
  • There are no tuition costs associated with School Choice.
General Information:  The application and accompanying information for entry in Fall 2026 was due no later than November 24, 2025.  We are no longer accepting application for the 2026-2027 school year.  If you would like to add your name to a waitlist to be considered after every applicant who applied on time, please fill out this Google Form.  Please note that the Google Form is not an application, and you will not be considered for admission unless every student who applied on time has been considered and has chosen not to accept a seat. Students who currently attend Morris Hills or Morris Knolls High School and have moved out of district should contact nzoeller@mhrd.org for additional instructions.  
 

 

Information Sessions for Students Entering High School in the 2026-2027 School Year:
The district hosted two in-person information sessions this fall:
  • Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 7 PM in the Morris Knolls High School Auditorium (50 Knoll Drive, Rockaway, NJ) 
  • Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 7 PM in the Morris Hills High School Auditorium (520 West Main Street, Rockaway, NJ) 
Both information sessions were identical.  We highly recommend that students and families attend an Information Session to understand the application process. If you miss the sessions, you will find the presentations posted below after the 2nd Information session:
For more information on the Out-of-District Choice Program, please contact:
  • Dr. Nisha Zoeller - Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
  • nzoeller@mhrd.org
  • 973-664-2293