GUIDELINES FOR REQUESTING A STUDENT TRANSFER SCHOOL YEAR

Transcription

1 GUIDELINES FOR REQUESTING A STUDENT TRANSFER SCHOOL YEAR The parent/guardian of any student currently enrolled or who will be enrolled for the school year in Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) or a student 18 years of age or older currently enrolled in FBISD may apply for a Student Transfer to a campus other than the home campus in the attendance zone in which the student resides. All students who were Transfer Students in will be allowed to remain as a Transfer without completing a new Student Transfer Application except in the following circumstances: The student is transitioning to middle or high school. A student already on Transfer will have to re-apply at each transition grade. Parents of these students will have to complete a new Student Transfer Application at the end of fifth grade (before entering sixth grade) and at the end of eighth grade (before entering ninth grade). The Student Transfer Application will be available during each application timeline on the Fort Bend ISD website, at >Departments and Services>Department of Student Affairs >Student Transfers. Only one Student Transfer may be granted in any school year. The application must be provided to the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) within the designated timeframe only and will not be accepted earlier than the first day of each timeline. Student Transfer Application Timeline For School Year February 09 27, 2015: Window open for Transfer Applications to Remain at Previously Zoned Campus for fifth, eighth, and ninth grade students impacted by boundary changes for March 2-27, 2015: Window open for Transfer Applications for students who are children of current full-time FBISD employees Note: Any employee hired after this timeline will have ten days from his/her first workday to apply for a Student Transfer for his/her child(ren). April 13 30, 2015: Window open for Transfer Applications for current students or students who will be enrolled in FBISD in (students currently on Transfer apply ONLY if the student is transitioning to middle or high school) and for FBISD siblings who are residents of the District and will be attending the same school simultaneously as a brother/sister. - Student Transfers for extenuating circumstances will be dealt with on a case by case basis by the Department of Student Affairs. - Any requests outside the Student Transfer Application Timeline will not be accepted with the exception of newly hired employees. Student Transfers Based on Attendance Boundary Changes for (Applicable for students in grades 5, 8, and 9 only in ) Attendance boundary changes determined by the Board of Trustees will go into effect for the school year for elementary, middle, and high school students. Any student wishing to remain at his/her currently zoned campus as described below must complete the Student Transfer Application form entitled APPLICATION TO REMAIN AT PREVIOUSLY ZONED CAMPUS. These forms are available on the District website or from the FBISD Department of Student Affairs and will be accepted in the Department of Student Affairs during the period of February 9-27, 2015.

2 Elementary Schools Incoming kindergarten through fifth-grade students will attend their new zoned schools in the school year. Incoming fifth-graders will have the option of staying at their current campus in , but transportation will not be provided by the District. *This option is only available at campuses that are not projected to have building utilization exceeding 120 percent. Middle Schools Incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders will attend their new zoned schools in the school year. Incoming eighth-graders will have the option of staying at their current middle schools next year, but transportation will not be provided by the District. High Schools Incoming ninth-graders (current eighth-graders) will attend the high school in the newly approved attendance boundaries. Incoming 10 th grade, 11 th grade, and 12 th grade students will remain at their current campus and be eligible for transportation until their graduation. Incoming ninth-grade students who have older siblings currently attending their zoned high schools can choose to attend the same campus as their sibling, but transportation will only be provided by the District until their older sibling no longer attends the school. *Please note: Ninth-grade students approved for a transfer will not be eligible to participate in varsity level athletics for a period of one school year. However, participation in junior varsity or freshman level athletics will be permitted. **This provision only applies during the first year of implementation ( ), and does not apply if the older sibling is attending his or her current campus through a student transfer or as a participant in an Academy program. **Notification of the decision for Applications to Remain at Previously Zoned Campuses will be provided through an or letter from the Department of Student Affairs by March 02, General Student Transfers will be Based on Space Availability Open Campuses A student may apply for a Transfer to an Open Campus (a campus where Student Transfers are accepted during the application timeline). A campus will be determined to be Open based on the following conditions: Grades K-5 Student Transfer Applications will be considered if the campus is below 80% of its projected utilization. Grades K-4 Student Transfer Applications will be considered until a grade level reaches a 19:1 student to teacher ratio. Grade 5 Student Transfer Applications will be considered until a grade level reaches a 22:1 student to teacher ratio. Grades 6-12 Student Transfer Applications will be considered if the campus is below 80% of projected utilization. Note for Special Education or 504 Students: Transfer applications are accepted for all students. Applications for students receiving special education or 504 services will flow first through the appropriate department director (Special Education or At Risk Programs) prior to processing in the Department of Student Affairs. The purpose of this is to assure that the transfer campus requested is best for the meeting the educational needs of the student.

3 Note for Senior Students Only: A student who has earned the required credits in FBISD to be classified as a senior may continue to attend his/her current campus regardless of the zoned attendance of residence, provided the parent(s) were legal residents when the required credits were obtained. Senior Transfers will be managed on the campus, and may be denied or revoked by the principal for any of the reasons identified for denying or revoking Student Transfers. Out of District Student Transfers ** New Student Transfer Applications for students not living in FBISD will no longer be accepted. The only exception involves students of full-time FBISD employees. Notification of Decision Notification of the decision for Transfer Applications for Student Transfers will be provided through an or letter from the Department of Student Affairs by May 8, Reasons for Denying or Revoking Student Transfers 1. Requested campus is a closed campus or the requested grade level is closed. These denials may not be appealed. 2. Repeated failure to abide by the rules specified in the Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct or committing an infraction that includes assignment to a DAEP or JJAEP. These denials may not be appealed. 3. Erroneous information on the Student Transfer Application. 4. Revocation of the previous year s Student Transfer. 5. The student is applying as the child of an employee and the parent/guardian is no longer a full-time employee of FBISD. 6. The educational needs of the student can be met at the home campus. 7. Failure to meet deadlines for Student Transfer Application. 8. Student is enrolled under a Dual Residency, Power of Attorney, or Intent to Reside. 9. Documented patterns of late arrivals, early/late pickups, unexcused absences, and/or poor attendance. These denials/revocations may not be appealed. 10. In cases where a campus projected enrollment exceeds its capacity, it is possible some Student Transfers will be revoked. In these cases, the last students approved will be the first students to be moved or returned to their home campus. STUDENT TRANSFERS Q & A (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS) This list of questions and answers is provided to assist parents/guardians with applying for a Student Transfer for their child/children. This question and answer list will be updated as needed, and is divided into the following sections: Section 1: Applying Policy and Law Section 2: Applying for Student Transfers SECTION 1: APPLYING POLICY AND LAW 1. Is the District required to provide a Student Transfer process that allows students to attend a campus other than the one to which they are zoned? No, but FBISD has chosen to offer a Student Transfer process.

4 2. How do I find the governing policy on-line? The policy governing this process may be reviewed by visiting the FBISD website at > Departments and Services>Department of Student Affairs >Student Transfers. SECTION 2: APPLYING FOR STUDENT TRANSFERS 1. How do I initiate a Student Transfer request for my child? Student Transfers are initiated by completing the Student Transfer Application on the FBISD website at >Departments and Services>Department of Student Affairs >Student Transfers. The Student Transfer Application is also available in the FBISD Department of Student Affairs; Lexington Blvd., Suite 101; Sugar Land, TX Student Transfer applications will be accepted only during each designated timeline. 2. If my child is already on a Student Transfer now, do I need to reapply? All students who were Transfer Students in will be allowed to remain as a Transfer without completing a new application except in the following circumstances: The student is transitioning to middle or high school. A student already on a Transfer will have to re-apply at each transition grade. Parents of these students will have to complete a new Transfer Application at the end of fifth grade (before entering sixth grade) and at the end of eighth grade (before entering ninth grade). 3. How long must I reside in the District before applying for a Student Transfer? Students currently enrolled or those who will be enrolled in FBISD in may apply for a Student Transfer for What is the process the District uses to determine if a campus will be identified as open to Student Transfers? Grades K-5 Student Transfer Applications will be considered if the campus is below 80% of its projected utilization. Grades K-4 Student Transfer Applications will be considered until a grade level reaches a 19:1 student to teacher ratio. Grade 5 Student Transfer Applications will be considered until a grade level reaches a 22:1 student to teacher ratio. Grades 6-12 Student Transfer Applications will be considered if the campus is below 80% of its projected utilization. 5. Will my child receive transportation (bus) services if the Student Transfer is approved? No, on a Student Transfer, parents are responsible for providing transportation to/from school. 6. May I submit more than one Student Transfer Application per school year? No, only one application per child per school year will be considered. 7. May I request a specific campus on the Student Transfer application? Yes, as long as it is identified as an open campus. You will be allowed to identify three open campuses for consideration, in preferential order, on the Student Transfer Application. 8. May I go to a campus on my own and request/arrange for a transfer for my child? No, all Student Transfer Applications will be managed through the FBISD Department of Student Affairs. Approval or denial notice will be sent to parents/guardians from the Department of Student Affairs. 9. I have withdrawn my child from his/her zoned campus. I would like to re-enroll him/her in another FBISD School using a Student Transfer Application and request a different campus. Will my Transfer Application be approved to allow him/her to attend a different FBISD School? No. If you have withdrawn your child from the zoned campus, you may not submit

5 the Student Transfer Application and request a different campus for your child. The transfer process is for students who are currently enrolled in FBISD. 10. If my child is transitioning to middle or high school, but I want him/her to stay in the same feeder pattern as the elementary school he/she completed rather than attend the zoned campus, do I need to complete a Student Transfer Application? Yes. A student already on Student Transfer will have to re-apply at each transition grade. Parents of these students will have to complete a new Student Transfer Application at the end of fifth grade (before entering sixth grade) and at the end of eighth grade (before entering ninth grade). It is not assured that the campus in the feeder pattern requested will be approved because the campus may not be identified as an open campus. 11. My family will be moving into a new subdivision over the summer, but my daughter wants to attend the middle school in the feeder pattern of her former elementary school because her friends will be going there. Will she be granted a Student Transfer? Not necessarily. The Student Transfer Application must be to an open campus. 12. I live in Spring Branch ISD and I am not an employee of Fort Bend ISD. May I apply for my child to attend Bush High School? No. There will be no new Student Transfer Applications accepted from students living outside of FBISD, with the exception of children of full-time FBISD students. 13. My daughter graduated from Kempner High School in 2014, and now my younger daughter is about to enter high school. Although we are zoned to Austin High School, I want my daughter to attend Kempner. May she do so as a sibling? No. Student Transfers are offered if the student will be attending the same school at the same time as a brother/sister. 14. I have a son in fourth grade who is a student at Armstrong Elementary. My daughter will be in kindergarten next year, and we are zoned to Glover Elementary. May my daughter attend kindergarten at Armstrong next year? Yes. Because your daughter will attend Armstrong simultaneously with her fourth grade brother in , you may apply for a Student Transfer for her during the April 13-30, 2014 Application Timeline. Once my son exits Armstrong after fifth grade, will my daughter be allowed to remain? Yes, as long as there have been no reasons for Transfer Revocation of your daughter while at Armstrong. 15. May I, as a FBISD full-time employee, submit a Student Transfer Application for my child to attend a campus that is closer to the campus where I work? Yes, as a full-time District employee, you may apply for a Student Transfer to any campus within FBISD during the March 2-27, 2015 Application Timeline. If the application is a new request to attend a campus that is significantly overcrowded, it is possible that the request will not be honored. However, full-time employees who work at schools will be able to transfer their children to the schools at which they work, regardless of whether the school is overcrowded. In addition, new requests for siblings of children already attending a closed school will be approved. 16. I am a full-time Fort Bend ISD employee whose child will be in kindergarten in What do I do if I want a Student Transfer for my soon-to-be kindergartner? As a Fort Bend ISD full-time employee with an incoming kindergarten student for , if you want to apply for a Student Transfer for your child, you may do so during the period of March 2-27, 2015, and then complete the kinder registration process at your child s requested campus once you receive student transfer approval. 17. As a part-time or temporary FBISD employee, may I apply as an employee for my child to transfer? No, not based upon being the child of an employee. However, you may complete a Student Transfer Application during the regular Student Transfer Application window April 13-30, 2015 if you are a FBISD resident.

6 18. I have a student who is currently attending Kempner High School and will be in tenth grade in Our address will be rezoned next year to attend Clements High School. Can my student attend Clements High School? No. Your student will continue at Kemper High School until graduation. 19. My student is currently a student at Travis High School, and will be a senior next year. Our address has been rezoned to Bush High School. I also have a student who will be a freshman next year, and he will be attending Bush High School. May my senior student attend Bush High School next year as a sibling of my freshman student? No. Incoming 10 th grade, 11 th grade, and 12 th grade students who have been rezoned for will remain at their current campus until their graduation, and will not be considered for a student transfer. 20. How will I know when my Student Transfer Application has been received or the status of my Application? Because of the number of Student Transfer Applications received, it is not feasible for the Department of Student Affairs to notify you upon receipt of the application. However, every application is time and date-stamped. Upon submission via or on-line application, you should receive a message that the Application was successfully submitted. 21. Will my child be permitted to participate in athletics if he/she is approved for a Student Transfer to another high school? If your child is approved to attend another high school as the result of your Student Transfer Application, he/she may not participate in varsity level athletics for one calendar year, including ninth-grade students who receive a transfer based upon the Grandfathering Agreement for However, participation in junior varsity, sophomore, or freshman level athletics is permitted. 22. When will I know if my Student Transfer Application has been approved or denied? Notification of the decision for Transfer Applications for Resident Student Transfers and Nonresident Student Transfers for Children of Full-time Employees of the District will be provided through an or letter from the Department of Student Affairs by May 8, Assistance Other questions about the Student Transfer process may be directed to the Department of Student Affairs by calling or by ing Student.Affairs@fortbendisd.com (UPDATED February 11, 2015)