Transfers

District Attendance Area Transfers

Each student in the district is required to attend the school designated for the geographic attendance area in which he or she resides.

A parent or guardian may request that his or her child be allowed to attend another school in the district. Requests must be submitted, in writing, to the principal of the building at which the student is currently assigned. Secondary students who request attendance area transfers are subject to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s eligibility rules.

Transfers may be granted if:

  1. A financial, educational, safety, or health condition affecting the student would be reasonably improved as a result of the transfer;
  2. Attendance at another school in the district is more accessible to the parent’s place of work or to the location of child care; or
  3. There is some other special hardship or detrimental condition affecting the student or the student’s immediate family which would be alleviated as a result of the transfer. Special hardship or detrimental conditions may include a student who moves to a new attendance area in the district during the school year. The student may elect to transfer at the time of the move or at the end of the semester or grading period. For a high school sophomore or junior, transfers may only be approved to coincide with the beginning of a new grading period. A senior may elect to finish the school year without transferring to a new school, but must declare his or her preference prior to the beginning of the last semester.

    The principal of the currently-assigned school will consult with the principal of the school to which the student desires to transfer to determine:

    1. Whether space is available in the grade level or classes at the building in which the student desires to be enrolled;
    2. Whether appropriate transportation, educational programs or services are available to improve the student’s condition as stated in requesting the transfer; and
    3. Whether the student’s transfer is likely to create a risk to the health or safety of other students or staff at the new building.

Transfers must be granted if the student is a child of a full-time certificated or classified school employee unless:

  1. The student has a history of convictions, violent or disruptive behavior, or gang membership;
  2. The student has been expelled or suspended from school for more than ten consecutive days; or
  3. Enrollment of a non-resident child would displace a child who is a resident of the district (the resident child must be permitted to remain enrolled until he or she completes his or her schooling).

Parents will be informed annually of the district’s attendance area transfer option. The district will make available for public inspection the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s annual information booklet on enrollment options in the state at each school building, the central office and local public libraries. This information will also be available on the website of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Reporting Transfers out of the District

When students move out of the district without notification of where they will be enrolling once they have moved, it can be challenging to know how to report the transfer appropriately and ensure the student’s educational records are forwarded. To address these challenges, the district will follow the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS) Reporting Guidance for reporting students as confirmed or unconfirmed transfers both inside and outside of Washington.

To confirm the transfer of a student who has emigrated to another country, the district will obtain written confirmation, but need not obtain an “official” writing. This means that if a parent informs a school administrator that the family is leaving the country and a school administrator documents the conversation in writing and includes it in the student’s file, the district may report the out of country transfer as confirmed. However, the district will not report a transfer as confirmed if information that a student has moved is reported from a student’s friend rather than a parent.

 

Legal References:

RCW 28A.225.225 Applications from nonresident students or students receiving home-based instruction to attend district school — School employees’ children — Acceptance and rejection standards — Notification

RCW 28A.225.270 Intradistrict enrollment options policies

RCW 28A.225.290 Enrollment options information booklet

RCW 28A.225.300 Enrollment options information to parents

 

Management Resources:

2020 – May Issue

2003 – June Issue, Policy News, “Enrolling Children of School Employees”

2020 – April Issue, Policy & Legal News

CEDARS Guidance, available on OSPI: website www.k12.wa.us/data-reporting/reporting/cedars

 

Adoption Date: 08/28/13
Classification: Discretionary
Revised Dates: 03/22

Policies and Procedures