JFB
OPEN  ENROLLMENT

The District has an open-enrollment program as set forth in A.R.S. 15-816 and A.R.S. 15-816.01 et seq.  The open enrollment program described in this policy shall be placed on the District website and made available to the public on request.

No tuition shall be charged for open enrollment, except as authorized by applicable provisions of A.R.S. 15-764, 15-797, 15-823, 15-824, and 15-825.

School District policies shall include the information required by A.R.S. 15-816.01(I) that is needed to request enrollment and that is consistent with guidance and state and federal law regarding pupil privacy and civil rights, and information regarding the provision of transportation or resources for transportation.

The policies must be easily accessible from the home page on each school's website and be available in English and in Spanish or in any other language used by a majority of the populations served by the school or School District.

A school district shall update on each school's website the school's capacity and whether the school is currently accepting open enrollment students, by grade level, at least once every twelve (12) weeks unless there are no changes to report for the individual school.

If a school has any other separate capacity by specialized program, the information required pursuant to this subsection shall also be posted by specialized program.

Schools shall accept pupils throughout the school year as capacity allows.  Pupils who are denied access due to capacity shall be informed that they are on a wait list and of the details regarding the process prescribed in A.R.S. 15-816.01(E).

Pupils shall be selected as seats become available.

A school district shall enroll at any time any resident pupil who applies for enrollment to the school district.

A school district shall give enrollment preference to and reserve capacity for all of the following: 

A.  Resident pupils. 

B.  Pupils returning to the school from the prior year.

C.  Siblings of pupils already enrolled.

A school district may give enrollment preference to children who:

A.  Are in foster care.

B.  Meet the definition of unaccompanied youth prescribed in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77; 101 Stat. 482; 42 United States Code Section 11434a).  

C.  Attend a school that is closing.

If a school remains open as part of a boundary change and capacity is available, students assigned to a new attendance area may stay enrolled in their current school.

A school district may give enrollment preference to and reserve capacity for all of the following:

A.  Pupils who are children of persons who are employed by or at a school in the School District.

B.  Resident transfer pupils and their siblings.

C.  Pupils who meet additional criteria established and published by the School District Governing Board.

If remaining capacity at a school, as determined by the School District Governing Board, is insufficient to enroll all pupils who submit a timely request, the school or School District shall select pupils through an equitable selection process such as a lottery (but not limited to a lottery), except that preference shall be given to the siblings of a pupil selected through an equitable selection process such as a lottery. 

Except as provided in A.R.S. 15-816.01, a school that is operated by a school district may not limit admission based on any of the following: 

A.  Ethnicity or race.

B.  National origin.

C.  Sex.

D.  Income level.

E.  Disability.

F.  Proficiency in the English language.

G.  Athletic ability.

Definitions

Resident transfer pupil means a resident pupil who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the school district - but outside the attendance area - of the pupil's residence.

Nonresident pupil means a pupil who resides in this state and who is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the pupil resides.

Adopted:  December 14, 2021

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
8-371
15-341
15-764
15-797
15-816 et seq.
15-823
15-824
15-825
15-841
15-922
42 U.S.C. 11301, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2001,
   as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015

CROSS REF.:
EEAA - Walkers and Riders
IIB - Class Size
JF - Student Admissions
JFAA - Admission of Resident Students
JFAB - Admission of Nonresident Students
JFABD - Admission of Homeless Students
JFABDA - Admission of Students in Foster Care
JG - Assignment of Students to Classes and Grade Levels