JFBOPEN ENROLLMENT
JFBDefinitions
"Open enrollment" means a policy that is adopted and implemented by the Governing Board to allow resident transfer students to enroll in any school within the District, to allow resident students to enroll in any school located within other school districts in this state, and to allow nonresident students to enroll in any school within the District pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-816.01.
"Nonresident student" means a student who resides in this state, and who is enrolled in or is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the student resides.
"Resident student" means a student whose residence is within the attendance area of a District school.
"Resident school" means a school that is within the designated attendance area in which a student resides.
"Resident transfer student" means a resident student who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the School District but outside the attendance area of the student's residence.
General Open Enrollment Process
The District will enroll at any time any resident student who applies for enrollment and will accept open enrollment students throughout the school year as capacity in the particular program, class, or grade level allows. The District will reserve capacity for and grant enrollment preference to:
A. Resident students - students residing within the attendance boundaries of the school.
B. Returning students - students returning to the school from the prior year.
C. Siblings of students currently enrolled at the school.
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.
D. Are children of a member of the armed forces of the United States who either is on active duty or was killed in the line of duty.
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.
Capacity
By January 1st, the Superintendent or designee shall annually estimate how much excess capacity may exist to accept transfer pupils. The estimate of excess capacity shall be made for each school and grade level and shall take into consideration:
A. District resident pupils in assigned school attendance areas, including those issued certificates of educational convenience and those required to be admitted by statute.
B. Resident transfer pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.
C. Nonresident pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.
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.
Application Window
With the first day of the enrollment season, the first window for application begins and runs for two (2) weeks. The open enrollment application must be completed and submitted to the school of which the student seeks to enroll. Applications received after this application window will be subject to review in the order applications are received.
If an application window ends on a holiday where the District office is closed, the window will end on the next date in which the District office is open.
Priority of Admissions
If it is determined that a school has capacity to accept resident transfer or nonresident students, such students shall be selected on the basis of designated priority categories from the pool of students: 1) who have properly completed and submitted applications; and 2) who meet admission criteria.
All applications received during an open enrollment application period will be sorted based on the following enrollment priorities, and then based on the date received within each category:
A. Siblings of resident transfer and nonresident students currently enrolled at the school.
B. Children of a District employee.
C. New resident transfer student or new nonresident student.
If a particular school reaches capacity after enrolling resident students and students with preferential enrollment eligibility, students seeking open enrollment will be placed on a wait list, if requested by Parent/Guardian, and will be selected on a first come, first served basis as space becomes available.
Application and Notification
Procedures
The student's parent/legal guardian completes and submits the open enrollment application using the following criteria:
A. Applications will be accepted once the enrollment season begins.
B. Applications for initial open enrollment acceptance will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, within each enrollment priority group. If a program or service is at capacity based on current enrolled students, a wait list may be generated.
C. The District will determine whether the student's admission would be in conformity with its admission criteria.
D. The student's parent/legal guardian will be notified of the decision by phone and/or email as promptly as possible upon receipt of an application whether the application has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity or rejected. If it has been rejected, the reason shall be given.
E. If currently on an open enrollment and requesting a different site, a new application will be required.
As provided by A.R.S. 15-816.07, the District and its employees are immune from civil liability for decisions relative to the acceptance or rejection of the enrollment of a nonresident student when the decisions are based on good faith application of this policy and the applicable statutory requirements and standards.
Admission Criteria
The District Administrator will determine if resident transfer and nonresident students will be admitted in accordance with the following criteria:
A. Whether the school in which the student seeks to enroll has the capacity to serve the student without adversely impacting educational opportunities for resident students attending their resident school. Factors to be considered in making this determination include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Physical capacity of school facilities;
2. Availability of staff (e.g., administrators, teachers, other certificated employees, related service providers); and
3. Capacity of grade levels, core and elective courses, and relevant special programs.
B. Whether the student has been expelled by another school or is in the process of being expelled by another school.
No school within the District shall 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.
Schools Without Attendance Boundaries
The District may establish schools that do not have attendance boundaries. Student attendance for such schools shall be based upon application criteria and open enrollment applications. Transfer is subject to the capacity limit established for the school, program, and/or grade level. Student transportation will be the responsibility of the Parent/Guardian.
Transportation
A resident transfer student may be eligible for District transportation on routes within the attendance boundaries of the school to which the student has been accepted for open enrollment transfer. It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the resident transfer student to have the student at a designated pickup point within the receiving school's transportation area.
Nonresident open enrollment students are eligible for District transportation from a designated pickup point on a bus route serving the attendance area of the school to which the student has been admitted, or as may be otherwise determined by the District.
The District may provide transportation for open enrollment nonresident students who meet the economic eligibility requirements established under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts for free or reduced-price lunches:
of not more than thirty (30) miles to and from:
1. the school of attendance, or
2. a pickup point on a regular District transportation route, or
3. for the total miles traveled each day to an adjacent district.
The District shall provide transportation for nonresident transfer students with disabilities whose individualized education program (IEP) specifies that transportation is necessary for fulfillment of the program:
of not more than thirty (30) miles to and from:
1. the school of attendance, or
2. a pickup point on a regular District transportation route, or
3. for the total miles traveled each day to an adjacent district.
The implementation of this policy must not disproportionately impact any group or class of students.
Adopted: November 06, 2024
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
8-371
15-341
15-764
15-797
15-816 et seq.
15-816.01
15-816.07
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
42 U.S.C. § 11434a
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