Board Policy JBCC Student Assignment

                                                                                                     Board Policy Manual
                                                                                             DeKalb County School District



 Board Policy JBCC: Student Assignment                                                                      Status: ADOPTED

 Original Adopted Date: 04/18/2011 | Last Revised Date: 05/05/2014 | Last Reviewed Date: 05/05/2014


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 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
      In certain circumstances, special needs students requiring 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.
  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.
  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 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.
  E. 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.
      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.
   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.
   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.

F. 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.
   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.
G. Unsafe School Choice Option
   A student who is the victim of a violent criminal offense, as defined by state law, while in or on the grounds of
   a public elementary school or secondary 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.
H. 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.