Danielle Smith with her basketball team.

Danielle Smith has attended private schools her entire academic career, but next year the 13-year-old student is looking forward to attending Brighton High School, part of the Brighton Area Schools public school district.

Danielle's parents, Dan and Cheryl Smith, believe the public school will meet their daughter's needs better than other schools. "Although Danielle's private education has served her well, we believe that Brighton would be the best school for her next year," said Mrs. Smith.

Danielle's success both in and out of the classroom is a major part of her parents' decision to choose a public high school for her. She maintains a 3.8 grade point average while enthusiastically pursuing outside activities from drama and dance to cheerleading and basketball.

"We have looked at high-quality parochial schools such as Mercy Catholic High School in Farmington Hills and Gabriel Richard in Ann Arbor, but we're very pleased with what we've seen at Brighton," said Mrs. Smith. "We believe Brighton High School can best meet all of Danielle's academic and extracurricular needs next year."

Another reason for the Smiths' choice of public education is that they feel a close attachment to the Brighton community. "Since preschool, Danielle has attended schools in the area. We go to church in Brighton; we shop in Brighton; our lives are in Brighton," said Mrs. Smith. "All the schools we've looked at are good, but Brighton is close to home."

There is one problem that may complicate the Smiths' choice of public school: The family lives one half-mile outside the Brighton school district boundary. In fact, the Smiths' home is also outside of the larger Livingston Intermediate School District (ISD), of which Brighton is a part.

Under Michigan's public schools-of-choice program, begun in 1996, families can more easily select among a range of public schools for their children instead of being forced to enroll them only in the school assigned to them by their home district. In order to exercise this choice, however, families must secure the approval of the school officials in both their home ISD and the ISD where they wish their child to attend school.

For Danielle to attend Brighton, she must be given a release of $5,957 in state foundation grant money from the Huron Valley Schools, part of the Oakland ISD and where the Smiths reside, before the Livingston ISD will consider allowing Danielle to attend Brighton High School.

The Smiths are encouraged that school officials seem inclined to approve the Smiths' choice of school and that the family may not have to resort to extreme measures so Danielle can attend public school in Brighton.

"If either district refuses our request, the only way Danielle could attend Brighton High School would be for us to relocate our residence or to grant limited guardianship to a family friend," said Mrs. Smith. Limited guardianship means that the Smiths must agree to legally transfer to another party some of their parental rights involving Danielle.

"While we don't like either of those options, we want our daughter to have the best education possible and we would be willing to do whatever it takes," she said.

At press time, Huron Valley and Brighton officials were working with the Smiths to ensure that Danielle can attend Brighton High School next year.