Clean Version JBCC Student Assignments

                                                                                     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



REVISED 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 and attendance areas are
discussed in Policy AD: School Attendance Zone. Both policies can be
found on the district website.

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.

    A. Students Receiving Exceptional Education Services

        In certain circumstances, students requiring exceptional 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

        Qualifying students with an existing Individualized Education
        Program (IEP) or eligible Section 504 plan, as defined by State law
        and State Board rule, may attend another school within the district
  if space is available and the school can provide the required
  services.

C. Limited School Choice

  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 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, 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. The district may provide sibling preference in school choice
     programs, subject to capacity, program eligibility, lottery
     procedures, and administrative regulations approved by
     the Superintendent.
  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
     will be entered into the lottery and processed or waitlisted
     simultaneously, contingent upon seat availability.



F. 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. 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, subject to available capacity, program eligibility, service
  availability, and administrative procedures. Central office
  employees’ children may attend a school located in the vertical
  feeder pattern of the employee’s work site. Payment of tuition will
  not be required even if the employee and child reside in another
  school district.

G. 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
  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.

   H. 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 school days of
      the offense.

      Federal law also allows transfers out of schools that are designated
      by Georgia as unsafe. Information regarding unsafe schools can be
      found on the Georgia Department of Education website.

   I. 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 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. 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.

   J. Superintendent Responsibilities

      The Superintendent will provide an annual student assignment data
      report. The Superintendent is authorized to develop administrative
      regulations and procedures to implement this policy.
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