Policy S-3

Students shall be allowed to attend a school of their choice within the school district on a space available, first-come, first-served basis.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this policy, a student may be assigned outside his/her attendance area by mutual agreement of the Principals in the special interest of the student and/or school.

Open Enrollment

Students with a designated attendance area shall have priority in registering in that school (“home school”). Students may apply for enrollment in a school outside their attendance area (“School of Choice”). Such application shall be approved if there is space available in the requested school and the application has been submitted on or before August 15 in accordance with the regulations accompanying this policy. Exceptions can be recommended for approval by the building Principal through September 30. The Superintendent shall make the final decision.

Students granted permission to attend a School of Choice shall have the same curricular and extracurricular status as all other students attending the school, limited only as permitted by law and in accordance with rules of the Colorado High School Activities Association.

Transportation

Transportation for students granted permission to attend a School of Choice must be furnished by their parents unless space is available on District buses without disruption of regular routes and loading areas. This provision does not apply to handicapped/special education buses and routes.

Special Education Students

Requests from the parents of special education students for Open Enrollment or transfer to another school or program shall be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Each Principal will maintain a file of open enrollment request to his/her building.

Those students who apply for open enrollment and cannot be accepted at the time of application will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which the applications were received and will be considered for approval at a later date if space becomes available. Applications must be resubmitted each year to be carried forward on the waiting list.


Criteria to Determine if Space is Available

Open Enrollment and transfers within the District will be approved subject to space availability in the school requested, contingent upon class and school size, based on the following formula:

A. The receiving school’s average class size at the grade level of the student applying for transfer shall not exceed the sending school’s average class size at the grade level of the student by more than 2.0 FTE.

B. The Principal and/or Superintendent can make exceptions in extenuating circumstances.

Students whose Open Enrollment requests have been approved will be assigned by the Principal to classrooms on the basis of available staff and support services as well as the best use of classroom space.

An Open Enrollment granted to one child in a family will not necessarily support the Open Enrollment of another child in the family.

Permanent Changes in Residence

A. Students who are attending their home school Students whose permanent place of residence changes within the School District during the school year may remain in the school they currently are attending until the end of the academic year. Students will be required to attend the school of their new attendance area the following year unless application is made for Open Enrollment.

B. Students who are attending a school by choice Students who are attending a school by choice (ie, having transferred under this policy) and whose permanent place of residence changes during the school year, may remain in the school they are currently attending until the end of the academic year. Such students will be required to continue attendance at the school of choice until such time as the average class size at the student grade level as of May 1 exceeds the average class size of the home school.

Temporary Changes in Residence

Students whose residence changes during the school year on a temporary basis may continue to attend the same school provided that the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) notify the building Principal of the circumstances involved in the temporary change in residence. At the beginning of any school year a Principal may rule that such a temporary change of residence has in fact become permanent. Such a ruling is subject to the appeal procedure described below.



Appeal Procedure

Should a request for Open Enrollment be denied, the parent/guardian will be advised by the Superintendent that they may appeal the decision to the Board of Education.



Adopted: March 16, 1992

Revised: January 31, 2000

Latest revision: August 15, 2005



Click Here for School of Choice Request Form