Bona fide legal residence means physical location as well as the good faith intent to remain indefinitely.

Transcription

1 STUDENT SECTION Regulation 9.21 BONA FIDE LEGAL RESIDENCE; NON RESIDENT STUDENTS Bona fide legal residence Bona fide legal residence means physical location as well as the good faith intent to remain indefinitely. In determining bona fide legal residence to allow a student to continue to attend FCCPS schools during a period of interrupted residence, the School Board may consider two or more of the following documents: voter registration, drivers license, state income taxes, business licenses, personal property tax returns, state issued professional licenses, title deeds to property, leases and utility bills, forms filed for government benefits, other oral or written evidence of the intent to maintain Falls Church City domicile during temporary absence. In determining bona fide legal residence for initial enrollment, the School Board s designees may consider two or more of the documents listed above. Provided proof of bona fide legal residence does not preclude Falls Church City Public School staff from requesting additional proof of bona fide legal residence or investigating if there is reason to believe that a family may not reside in the City of Falls Church. Parents will be asked to provide written confirmation of residency by completing the Falls Church Residency Verification Form. Non-resident tuition students A. Generally Tuition students are accepted by the School Board upon the recommendation of the principal and Superintendent. The instructional program for the student must have space available and appropriate to the educational needs of the student. The student should be in good standing academically, behaviorally, and financially at his/her previous school. Tuition students are eligible to participate in all programs provided city resident students. Fees will be charged for actual costs of any special education and/or gifted and talented Adopted: _9/17/74 Revised: 2/29/2012 1

2 B. Entry program services provided the tuition student. The Virginia High School League regulations will determine whether a tuition student is eligible to participate in interscholastic competition. Tuition students are approved by the School Board for a given school year or a portion thereof; however, once accepted, the student may continue his/her education through the grades in that school location (Mt. Daniel K-1, Thomas Jefferson 2-4, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School 5-7, and George Mason High School 8-12) as long as the student is in good standing academically, behaviorally, and financially. Tuition students who wish to continue at the next school must be approved by the School Board. If the family of a student currently attending FCCPS as a non-resident tuition student has a change of residency to the City of Falls Church, the family should provide written verification of the new residency to the Business Office. The student s status as a tuition student will cease with the change of residency and the family will be reimbursed the per diem tuition amount for the remainder of that quarter. 1. The parents/guardians and/or student must complete an application for admission and return the application along with the required scholastic and discipline records including any and all evaluations and educational plans prepared by other schools to the principal of the school the student will attend as a tuition student. A nonrefundable application fee of $ must accompany the application. 2. The principal or designee will review the application and accompanying materials to determine that the student meets the criteria. 3. The principal or designee will review the application and student records to make sure that space is available in the program of study which is appropriate for the student. 4. If the student meets the criteria of being in good standing and there is space available, the principal of the school the child would enter will interview the parents/guardians and/or student, to assess the contribution of the student, explain the school programs for which the student would be eligible, and make it clear to the parents/guardians that special and gifted and talented education services are provided to a tuition student with an additional fee for the cost of those services. At the secondary level, a tentative instructional schedule will be established. If a student is applying for admission after the school year has begun, acceptance of the student must not have a negative impact on individual class sizes. The principal should make sure that the Adopted: _9/17/74 Revised: 2/29/2012 2

3 parents/guardians know the cost of tuition and the fact that it will be due quarterly in advance. 5. If the principal finds that the students meets the criteria, the principal will forward the application to the Superintendent and School Board for approval with information indicating the impact of acceptance of the student on class size and stating his/her recommendation regarding the tuition request. 6. The tuition request, along with the principal's memo, will be set for the next closed session of the School Board. Generally, the student will not be enrolled until after School Board action; however, the Superintendent may allow the student to enroll prior to official School Board action. In this case, the parents/guardians are advised that continued enrollment is contingent upon School Board action. If the student is requesting enrollment prior to School Board action, the principal will send the tuition check to the Superintendent along with the student's application and the principal's recommendation. 7. Once the School Board has acted on the tuition request, the Superintendent will send the parents/guardians a letter indicating the School Board's action with copies to the Business Office and Data Processing. 8. If a tuition student is approved by the School Board, the Business Office will bill the parents/guardians and make sure that the tuition payment has been received. If the tuition student is entering in the middle of a quarter, the Business Office will calculate the amount of tuition due for the remainder of the quarter. Data Processing will enter the student in the computer file. C. Withdrawals 1. Tuition students who withdraw or are withdrawn during a quarter will not be reimbursed the per diem tuition amount for the remainder of that quarter. 2. If the staff determines that an enrolled tuition student's school program is not appropriate for the student, the parents/guardians will be notified and counseled and alternatives, including possible withdrawal, will be explored. 3. A tuition student who is suspended may have their tuition status rescinded. In grades K-4, a student who is repeatedly sent to the principal for disciplinary reasons may be required to withdraw. This may occur after a formal conference between the parents/guardians and the principal, followed by a written notice. Adopted: _9/17/74 Revised: 2/29/2012 3

4 D. Payment Tuition payments are due quarterly, and full payment for each academic quarter must be made to the School Board prior to the first day of that quarter. Failure on the part of the parent or guardian to provide payment by this date will be grounds for the immediate withdrawal of the student. Only one exception will be made to the requirement for quarterly payments, and that is for current salaried employees of the School Board who have a child or children enrolled as tuition students in the school system. These employees will be given the option of having tuition payments deducted from their pay in eighteen (18) equal installments beginning with the September 15 payroll and ending with the May 31 payroll, provided that: 1. the employee's regular salary is sufficient to cover the deduction for tuition; and 2. if, during the school year, the employee's status changes from that of a salaried School Board employee, he/she must either pay the balance due for the remainder of the quarter and henceforth make quarterly payments as prescribed above, or immediately withdraw their child or children from the school system. Should an employee wish to exercise this payroll deduction option, they must notify the Business Office no later than September 1 of the school year for which tuition is due, and sign an agreement form authorizing such payroll deduction. E New School Year 1. For class size purpose, a list of students in grades 1, 4, and 7 will be reviewed by the Superintendent with recommendations for Board action on continuing their eligibility for enrollment as tuition students at the first meeting in March. Parents will be notified of the decision by April. 2. During the week of April 15, principals will be sent a list of the tuition students in their schools and asked to indicate whether they recommend the continuation of these students as tuition students for the next school year. 3. When the principal does not recommend the continuation of a tuition student, the principal will hold an individual conference with the family and explain the reasons for his/her recommendation. Adopted: _9/17/74 Revised: 2/29/2012 4

5 4. Tuition bills will be sent in August, with payment for the first quarter due before the opening day of school. 5. During the second week of the new school year, Data Processing will generate, by grade, a listing of students recorded as tuition students. The Business Office will make sure its list of tuition students and the computer list of tuition students match. Adopted: _9/17/74 Revised: 2/29/2012 5