RED LINED VERSION Board Policy JBCC Student Assignment

                                                                                                     Board Policy Manual
                                                                                             DeKalb County School District



 Board Policy JBCC: Student Assignment                                                                Status: DRAFT - 2nd Reading

 Original Adopted Date: 04/18/2011 | Last Revised Date: 05/05/2014 | Last Reviewed Date: 06/04/2026

RED LINED VERSION


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 to
district students. Listed below are several options where students may be eligible to attend a school assigned to
schools outside their attendance area. The district will publish written and/or electronic materials explaining each of
these options annually. Additionally, students may be eligible for assignment to a school other than the school in
their attendance area pursuant to state or federal law.
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. SThe District will
publish written and/or electronic materials further explaining each of these options. Students who do not reside in
the District district are not eligible for enrollment in a District district school, except as required by state law or as
provided below.
  A. Students Receiving Exceptional Education Services Special Needs Students
      In certain circumstances, special needs students requiring special 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 (Senate Bill 10)

      Qualifying students with an existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan, as defined by State
      law and State Board rule, may attend another special need students may attend another public school within
      the district, if space is available and the school can provide the required services. District that has
      available space capacity and a program that can provide the services that has a program with the services
      agreed to in the student's IEP or 504 plan. existing individualized education program.
  C. Limited School Choice (House Bill 251)
      Students may enroll in certain schools outside of their attendance area where there is space is 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 . The House Bill 251 receiving
      schools to which a student may transfer is are publicized each year after the district determines seat
      availability has been determined. Siblings will only may be approved only if there is space available in the
      requested grade level. grade level capacity is available.
  D. Other School Choice Programs
      The district District offers several academic options, including, a number of academic options for students,
      including, for example, charter schools, magnet programs, and theme schools. These ; these options are
      referred to as school choice programs. School Choice Programs. The available School Choice
      Programs 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, 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. Sibling preference is only applicable at 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 wait listed simultaneously, contingent upon seat availability.
The Board, upon recommendation by the Superintendent, and as allowed by applicable laws and regulations, may
move aSchool Choice Program to a different facility or cease the operation of aSchool Choice Program.
   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. 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 A child whose custodial parent or legal guardian is a full-time employee of
the district is District will be allowed to attend the school where at which 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. Non-school based 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. : 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.
  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 Superintendent or the
superintendent's designee may approve a recommendation by the Office of Student Assignment that a student be
allowed 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. 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.

  H. 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 the school that the student attends, may transfer to another school
      within ten days of the offense.
      Federal law also allows provides for transfers out of a schools that is are designated by Georgia as unsafe.
      Information regarding unsafe. Information regarding unsafe schools can be found on the Georgia Department
      of Education website. 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. Seniors Moving out of the District or into another District school
      A current or rising senior at a district District school who moves out of the district District may complete his or
      her their senior year at the district District school most recently attended if the student furnishes
      transportation, abides by district-approved District approved standards of behavior, maintains regular
      attendance, arrives and departs on time, departs on time and pays tuition as outlined set forth in Policy JBCBA:
      Tuition which is available on the district website. A current or rising senior at a district District school who
      moves out of a school's attendance area in the District may complete his or her their senior year at the
      student's most recently attended district school if the student furnishes transportation, abides by district-
      approved District approved standards of behavior, maintains regular attendance, and arrives on time, and
      departs on time.
   J. Superintendent Responsibilities

      An annual student assignment data report will be provided to the Board. The Superintendent is authorized to
      develop administrative regulations and procedures to implement this policy.