Policy JBCC Redline

                                                                                      Board Policy Manual
                                                                              DeKalb County School District

Board Policy JBCC: Student Assignment                                                   Status: DRAFT -
                                                                                        1st Reading

Original Adopted Date: 04/18/2011 | Last Revised Date: Pending | Last Reviewed Date:
09/15/2025




REDLINED VERSION
DeKalb County Board of Education desires to enhance the educational opportunities available to
district students. Listed below are several options where students may be eligible to attend a school
outside their attendance area. The district will publish written and/or electronic materials
explaining each of these options annually.

Typically, a student is assigned to the school serving the geographic attendance area in which the
student resides. A student's residence is defined in Policy JBC: School Admissions, which is
available on the district website at https://tinyurl.com/bdf6xcu2, and attendance areas are
discussed in Policy AD: School Attendance Zone, which also can be found on the district website at
https://tinyurl.com/2c9dkupd.
A student is usually assigned to the school serving the geographic attendance area in which the
student resides. (A student's residence is defined in Policy JBC, and attendance areas are discussed
in Policy AD.) However, the DeKalb County Board of Education desires to enhance the educational
opportunities available for students of the DeKalb County School District and therefore has
established numerous school choice options through which District students may be assigned to
schools outside their attendance area. Additionally, students may be eligible for assignment to a
school other than the school in their attendance area pursuant to state or federal law.

Instances in which students may attend a school outside their attendance area are outlined below.
Students who do not reside in the district are not eligible for enrollment in a district school, except
as required by state law or as provided below.

Instances in which students may attend school outside their attendance area are outlined below.
The District will publish written and/or electronic materials further explaining each of these
options.

Students who do not reside in the District are not eligible for enrollment in a District school, except
as required by state law or as provided below.

    A. Special Needs Students Students Receiving Exceptional Education Services

        In certain circumstances, special needs students requiring exceptional special education
        student services will be placed in a school other than the school serving their attendance
        area, in accordance with special education procedures.

    B. Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program (Senate Bill 10)

        Qualifying special need students may attend another public school within the District that
        has available capacity and that has a program with the services agreed to in the student's
        existing individualized education program. Qualifying students with an existing
        Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan may attend another school within the
        district, as long as there is available space and a program that can provide the services
        agreed to in the student's IEP or 504 plan.
C. Limited School Choice (House Bill 251)

       Students may enroll in certain schools outside of their attendance area where space is
       available. The House Bill 251 receiving schools to which a student may transfer are
       publicized each year after seat availability has been determined. Siblings may be approved
       only if grade level capacity is available. Students may enroll in schools outside of their
       attendance area where there is space available, based on the student’s assigned grade level.
       Administrative transfers may also be offered when a neighborhood school reaches or
       exceeds its capacity, as outlined in Board Policy AD. A list of schools to which a student
       may transfer is publicized each year after the district determines seat availability. Siblings
       will only be approved if there is space available in the requested grade level.

D. Other School Choice Programs

       The District offers a number of academic options for students, including, for example,
       charter schools, magnet programs, and theme schools; these options are referred to as
       School Choice Programs. The available School Choice Programs and the relevant admissions
       criteria are published yearly. Every eligible student, regardless of circumstance, must follow
       the published criteria and process. The district offers several academic options, including,
       charter schools, magnet programs, and theme schools. These options are referred to as
       school choice programs. Available school choice programs and relevant admissions criteria
       are published yearly. Every eligible student must follow the published criteria and process.

   The Board, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, and as allowed by applicable laws
   and regulations, may move a School Choice Program to a different facility or cease the
   operation of a School Choice Program. The board, upon recommendation by the
   superintendent, may move a school choice to a different facility or cease the operation of a
   school choice program.
E. Sibling preference
       1. Siblings are defined as two or more children having one or more birth parents or
           legal guardians in common.
       2. Siblings of students accepted into a school choice program can only attend the same
           school if grade-level capacity is available.
       3. Siblings are not required to participate in the same program; however, they must
           attend the same school.
       4. Current siblings must be enrolled and continue attendance at the same school
           during the upcoming academic year.
       5. Upon completion of the program, all students are required to return to their
           designated home school or apply for admission into another approved program.
       6. All siblings must meet the established criteria for the specific program to which they
           are applying.
       7. Multiple birth siblings applying concurrently to the same school shall be entered into
           the lottery and processed or waitlisted simultaneously, contingent upon seat
           availability.

          During the initial lottery, twenty-five percent (25%) of the total available seats shall be
          allocated to eligible siblings, based on program and grade-level criteria.

E.F.

F.G.     Children of Full-Time Employees Enrollment Options for Children of Full Time
   Employees

       The following provisions apply only to a child whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a
       full-time employee of the District. These provisions do not apply to pre-K programs
Subject to paragraphs 3 and 4 below relating to theme schools and magnet programs,a child
whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a full- employee of the District will be allowed to
attend the school at which the parent or legal guardian is employed: or, if the child has an
Individual Education Program ("IEP"), at a District school that can approximately implement
the child's IEP. The Office of Student Assignment must be notified before the child is
enrolled. Transportation will not be provided by the District. Payment of tuition will not be
required even if the employee and child reside in another school district. This option is
available only to school-based employees.
    1.
        Subject to paragraphs 3 and 4 below relating to theme schools and magnet
        programs, a child whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a full-time employee of
        the District will be allowed to attend another school within the vertical feeder
        pattern of the school at which the parent or legal guardian is employed; or, if the
        child has an Individual Education Program ("IEP"), at a District school that can
        approximately implement the child's IEP.


   2. Central office employees may attend feeder pattern schools located in the vertical
      feeder pattern of the employee’s work site. An employee wishing to avail
      themselves of the opportunity described in this subparagraph shall notify the Office
      of Student Assignment in accordance with a timetable issued and published by the
      Superintendent which reasonably accounts for the District’s and individual schools’
      planning requirements; provided, further, that such timetable shall accommodate
      new hires who by virtue of their hire date would be in compliance with such
      timetable and provide further, that the first year of implementation such timetable
      shall be adjusted, to the extent necessitated by the date of passage of this policy, to
      accommodate all eligible current employees for the 2014-2105 school
      year. Transportation will not be provided by the District. Payment of tuition will not
      be required even if the employee and child reside in another school district.
      Students permitted hereunder to attend a feeder pattern school must abide by
      school and District approved standards of behavior, attendance, and punctuality in
      order to be allowed to remain enrolled.

   1. Children seeking to attend a theme school under this provision must enter the
      lottery and comply with all other admissions procedures applicable to that school.
      Transportation will not be provided by the District. Payment of tuition will not be
      required even if the employee and child reside in another school district.

       Because of the unique nature of magnet programs, which have special admission
       criteria and competitive selection processes, children of employees will be given no
       special preference in seeking admission to a magnet program. Children wishing to
       enroll in a magnet program must follow the published admission procedures and
       meet the admission criteria for the program. Moreover, because of the special cost
       to the District in providing magnet programs, these programs are limited to students
       who reside in the District. Transportation will not be provided by the District.

       Employees' children who, at the time this Policy is enacted, are attending a school
       that they would not be allowed to attend under this Policy shall be allowed to
       remain in their current school until they have completed the highest grade at that
       school.

The following provisions apply only to a child whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a
full-time employee of the district. A child whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a full-
time employee of the district is allowed to attend the school where the parent or legal
guardian is employed or within the vertical feeder pattern of the school where the parent or
   legal guardian is employed. Central office employees’ children may attend a school located
   in the vertical feeder pattern of the employee’s work site.




G.H.       Hardship Transfers

   In exceptional circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, hardship transfer requests will be
   considered. Upon receiving documentation of an extenuating situation, the Superintendent
   or designee may approve a recommendation by the Office of Student Assignment that a
   student be allowed to attend a school other than the school serving the student's
   attendance area. State law allows for transfer requests in certain circumstances based on
   placement in a non-permanent classroom or excessive travel time or distance, as specifically
   defined by state law and the rules of the Georgia.

   In exceptional circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, hardship transfer requests will be
   considered. Upon receiving documentation of an extenuating situation, the superintendent
   or the superintendent's designee may approve a recommendation by the Office of Student
   Assignment to allow a student to attend a school other than the school serving the
   student's attendance area. State law allows for transfer requests in certain circumstances
   based on placement in a non-permanent classroom or excessive travel time or
   distance. Available capacity in the requested school and grade level at the time of the
   request will be considered for all hardship transfer requests. If capacity is not available, the
   superintendent may approve a transfer to another school in the district. Siblings may be
   approved only if grade-level capacity is available. Hardship transfers are limited to district
   residents.

   Department of Education and such requests may be considered by the District. For all
   hardship transfer requests, available capacity in the requested school and grade level at the
   time of the request will be considered. If capacity is not available, the Superintendent may
   approve transfer to another school in the District. Transportation will not be provided by
   the District. Siblings may be approved only if grade level capacity is available. Hardship
   Transfers are limited to residents of DeKalb County School District only.

H.I. Unsafe School Choice Option

   A student who is the victim of a violent criminal offense, as defined by state law, while on
   the grounds of the school that the student attends, may transfer to another school within
   ten days of the offense.

     Federal law also provides for transfers out of a school that is designated as a "persistently
     unsafe school." If a District school is designated as "persistently unsafe," the District will
     provide procedures for students wishing to transfer from the school.
I.J. Federal law also allows transfers out schools that are designated by Georgia as unsafe .
     Information regarding unsafe schools can be found on the Georgia Department of
     Education website.



J.K. Seniors Moving out of the District or into another District school

   A current or rising senior at a District school who moves out of the District may complete
   his or her senior year at the District school if the student furnishes transportation, abides by
   District approved standards of behavior, maintains regular attendance, arrives on time,
      departs on time and pays tuition as set forth in Policy JBCBA. A current or rising senior at a
      District school who moves out of a school in the District may complete his or her senior
      year at the current District school if the student furnishes transportation, abides by District
      approved standards of behavior, maintains regular attendance, arrives on time, and departs
      on time. A current or rising senior at a district school who moves out of the district may
      complete their senior year at the district school most recently attended if the student
      furnishes transportation, abides by district-approved standards of behavior, maintains
      regular attendance, arrives and departs on time, and pays tuition as outlined in Policy
      JBCBA: Tuition, which is available on the district website at
      https://tinyurl.com/4fjh6fpv. A current or rising senior at a district school who moves out
      of the school's attendance area may complete their senior year at the student’s most
      recently attended district school if the student furnishes transportation, abides by district-
      approved standards of behavior, maintains regular attendance, and arrives and departs on
      time.




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