THIS POLICY COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE TRANSFER REQUESTS BASED ON SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT STATUS
In the event a district school receiving Title I funds has been identified as in need of improvement, corrective action or restructuring, and there is another school in the district the student may transfer to, such transfers to meet the public school choice requirements of NCLBA will be provided, subject to the following:
1. The district will provide notification to parents of a student attending a school receiving Title I funds, of a student's right to transfer. The notification will:
a. Be in writing, provided prior to the beginning of the school year and will be in a comprehensive, easy-to-understand format and, to the extent practicable, in a language parents can understand;
b. Inform parents that their student is eligible to attend another public school in the district due to the less than adequate performance of his/her current school;
c. Identify each public school in the district, including public charter schools, that the parent may select;
d. Explain why the choices made available have been limited including, as applicable, that no choices are currently available; and
e. Describe the performance and quality of those schools of choice. Parents may request more detailed information and may ask to see a school's academic report card.
In addition to mailing notices directly to parents, the district will provide information about choice options through such means as newspapers, posters and the Internet.
2. The transfer will be to a safe district school that is making adequate yearly progress and has not been identified as in need of improvement, corrective action or restructuring;
3. Building capacity will not be used as a determining factor in transfer decisions;
4. Priority will be given to the lowest achieving, disadvantaged students, as required by law. A waiting list for all others will be established. Students may be rank ordered by achievement levels as evaluated by objective educational measures of student achievement at the school or district level. Students may not be rank ordered by parent income;
5. When intradistrict transfers are available, more than one district school of choice will be offered, as practicable. Parent preferences will be considered;
6. In implementing its public school choice responsibilities under NCLBA, the district shall not be required to:
a. Make alterations in the structure, arrangement or function of a requested school or rooms within a requested school;
b. Establish and offer any particular program in a requested school if such program is not currently offered in the school;
c. Alter or waive any established eligibility criteria for participation in a particular program including age requirements, course prerequisites and required levels of performance.
7. Requests to transfer must be in writing (standard mail, fax or E-mail) and submitted to the school office in accordance with timelines established by the district. The district will confirm requests. Parents may decline the assigned school;
8. Approved transfers will be made by the district in a timely manner to ensure parents have ample information, time and opportunity to take advantage of the option to choose a different public school for their student while also providing the school with appropriate planning time;
9. The transfer will remain in effect until the student has completed the highest grade in the school;
10. The opportunity to transfer will end when the school is no longer identified for improvement;
11. Transportation will be provided by the district, which may use Title I funds to provide transportation.
In the event there is not another school in the district for the student to transfer because all schools at a grade level are in school improvement, the district will, to the extent practicable, establish a cooperative agreement that would allow interdistrict transfers. If such an agreement is established, transfers to meet the public school choice requirements of NCLBA will be provided in accordance with established Board policy and administrative regulation.
SAFE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE TRANSFER REQUESTS
In the event a district school is identified by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) as persistently dangerous, or a student has been a victim of a violent criminal offense while in or on the grounds of a school the student attends, a transfer to meet the safe public school choice requirements of NCLBA will be provided, subject to the following:
1. The district will provide notification to parents of all students attending a school identified as persistently dangerous of their student's right to transfer. The notice will:
a. Be in writing, provided within [10] school days from the time the district becomes aware that the school has been identified by MDE as persistently dangerous or from the time a parent or student has notified the district that the student has been the victim of a violent criminal offense as defined by MDE;
b. Inform parents that their student is eligible to attend another public school in the district due to the identification of the school as persistently dangerous, or inform the parent of a student who has been the victim of a violent criminal offense, as defined by MDE, while in or on the grounds of a school the student attends, that their student is eligible to attend another public school in the district;
c. Identify each public school in the district, including public charter schools, that the parent may select;
d. Explain why the choices made available may have been limited including, as applicable, that no choices are currently available; and
e. Describe the performance and quality of those schools of choice. Parents may request more detailed information and may ask to see a school's academic report card.
2. The transfer will be to a safe district school and to the extent possible, to a district school that is making adequate yearly progress and that has not been identified as in need of improvement, corrective action or restructuring;
3. Requests to transfer must be in writing (standard mail, fax or E-mail) and submitted to the school office for consideration generally no later than [20] school days from the district notice. The district will confirm requests;
4. The district will consider the education needs and preferences of the student and parent. Parents may decline the assigned school;
5. Approved transfers will generally occur within [30] school days from the time the district learns that the school has been identified as persistently dangerous. A student who has been the victim of a violent criminal offense will be transferred as soon as practicable;
6. Transfers may be temporary or permanent but will minimally be in effect as long as the student's original school is identified as persistently dangerous. Transfers for a student who has been the victim of a violent criminal offense will remain in effect until such time as may be appropriate, based on the safety and welfare of the student. The district will consider the educational needs of all transfer students as well as other factors affecting the student's ability to succeed if returned to the transferring school;
7. The district may provide transportation using federal funds or through cooperative agreements with local victims assistance units.
In the event a district school is identified by MDE as persistently dangerous, or a student has been a victim of a violent criminal offense while in or on the grounds of a school the student attends and there is not another school in the district for the student to transfer to, the district may develop an agreement with a neighboring district to accept transfer students. The development of such agreements is at the discretion of the district. Transfer approval will be in accordance with established Board policy and administrative regulation.
MISCELLANEOUS GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ALL TRANSFERS
1. Students who wish to return to their home school or to transfer to a different district school must reapply in accordance with established request procedures.
2. Students granted permission to attend a district school other than the school in their assigned attendance area will have the same curricular and extracurricular status as all other students attending the school, consistent with applicable MHSAA rules.
3. Students are expected to preregister and complete final registration and scheduling for the school in their assigned attendance area pending disposition of a transfer request.
4. Students may not sign up for or practice with athletic teams or other activity groups in the school they are requesting to attend until the transfer is approved.
5. Recruitment of students by district employees is strictly prohibited.
6. Students whose place of residence changes within the district during the school year must notify the district. Students may be required to attend the school of their new attendance area the following year, consistent with NCLBA requirements, unless application is made for transfer.
7. Parents may appeal decisions to deny intradistrict transfer requests to the superintendent and Board, through established district procedures.
RECORD KEEPING
The building principal will maintain a file of all intradistrict transfer requests. A copy will be forwarded to the district office for district-wide data collection purposes.
LEGAL REF.: P. L. 107-110 (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
ADOPTED: 08/08/2006