| Dublin City School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5113.01 - INTRA-DISTRICT OPEN ENROLLMENT
In accordance with R.C. 3313.97, the Board will permit parents of students to apply for attendance at their school of choice at an appropriate grade/course offering level based upon the provisions that follow.
DEFINITIONS
Home School
The school to which the student has been assigned prior to, or will be assigned in the absence of, any request for transfer under this policy.
Parent
Residential and custodial parent, legal custodian, or guardian.
Program
Any one or a group of specific course offerings of this District. A program may be provided at one (1) or more grades.
Program Size
The capacity for the number of students in a program, as determined by factors including but not limited to financial or operating conditions of the District or the program, a collectively bargained agreement, or circumstances unique to the program.
NOTIFICATION AS TO POLICY AND ITS PROCEDURES
The Operations Department shall inform the general public and the parent(s) of each student enrolled in the District of this policy and its procedures.
ELIGIBILITY
Only students who are entitled to attend school in the District may participate in intra-district open enrollment. The parents of such students need apply for a transfer under this policy only if they wish to have their child attend a school other than that to which s/he would be assigned in the absence of such an application.
All K-12 students as just described are eligible for consideration. There is no limitation on the transfer of a special education student, except that a student who has an Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.) must attend a school in which the services described in the student’s I.E.P. are available. If a student is assigned to a school for special education purposes, an intra-district transfer application shall not be required for that assignment.
APPLICATIONS
Students enrolled in the District are generally assigned to the school or special education program serving their attendance area, subject to Board Policy 5120. Parents who wish to have their child attend a school different from the one to which they have been or will be so assigned must complete and submit an intra-district enrollment application in accordance with the following provisions. For students in grades K – 8, intra-district open enrollment is effective only for the particular school year in which open enrollment has been permitted, and parents must apply for intra-district open enrollment, for grades K – 8, annually. For a student in grade 9, 10, 11 or 12, once such student has been accepted into a particular high school via intra-district open enrollment, such enrollment in that high school continues, year-to-year, unless that student enrolls in another District high school (either by enrolling in the student’s home high school or enrolling in a different high school through another intra-district open enrollment application and acceptance thereof).
| A. | Application forms shall be available upon request at Central Office, as well as at the office of the principal in each of the District’s schools. | |
| B. | To ensure timely consideration, application forms must be completed by the parent(s) and submitted to the Operations Department on or before 5:00 p.m. on the first business day of May (of the school year prior to school year of possible open enrollment) or such other date as the Board may establish by resolution, provided that applications for kindergarten for the ensuing school year will be received and processed according to the dates and times for each school’s kindergarten registration or such other date as the Board may establish by resolution. |
SELECTION
Only dated and signed applications recorded as being received by the first business day of May deadline will be considered. Applications will be grouped by school, grade level and program. Groups of applications will then be drawn upon by lottery and placed in order of selection, if and as necessary, school assignments shall be given to students by sequential order of any necessary draw, subject to the preferences set forth below.
Requests to be assigned to a District school or program, other than a student’s home school or a program offered by/through it, are subject to the following provisions:
| A. | Enrollment capacities will be determined by Board of Education resolution annually during the month of March. These capacities are determined by grade level, school building and educational program. The respective, annual resolution establishing such capacity limits is incorporated into this Board Policy as if fully rewritten herein. | |
| B. | An appropriate racial balance among schools within the District shall be maintained. | |
| C. | The number of students with disabilities already in a classroom providing a specific disability service and receiving the appropriate special education service in the receiving school will allow for a maximum class size of two (2) students less than the limit established by Ohio Department of Education in the operating standards. | |
| D. | Home school students enrolled in such home school prior to June 1st have preference over applicants for intra-district open enrollment in each participating school. After such home school students, the following students will be given preference for intra-district open enrollment, in the following order (subject always to capacity limits): (1) students who, during the immediately preceding school year, were enrolled in that school via intra-district open enrollment; (2) a sibling or siblings (where applicable) of a student or students whose name is drawn for acceptance for intra-district open enrollment in a particular school, and which sibling(s) is/are applying for open enrollment at that same school. | |
| E. | Notwithstanding anything otherwise to the contrary in this policy, a student receiving special education services and as to whom an intra-district transfer is made will be required to attend a school where the services described in the student’s IEP are available. | |
| F. | Students with discipline problems may be rejected for intra-district transfer only if they have been suspended or expelled for ten (10) consecutive days in the current term or the immediate preceding term. | |
| G. | Subject to the provisions hereof, the final decisions for all intra-district enrollment transfer requests rest with the Superintendent of Schools. |
There shall be no requirement that a student be proficient in the English language or have a certain level of academic, athletic, artistic, or other ability for a transfer to occur under this policy.
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION
Parents and, insofar as a transfer application is granted, principals of affected schools and the transportation department shall be notified by the Operations Department of the applicant’s acceptance or rejection on or before June 15th, provided that nothing herein shall preclude the Superintendent’s providing subsequent notification that applications have been granted insofar as openings occur after June 15th. Parents shall have until June 30th to inform the Operations Department, in writing, whether their child will be attending the new school. If the parent does not so inform by the deadline, the parent will be deemed to have declined the open enrollment acceptance.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation for a student attending the school of his/her parent’s choice hereunder, rather than his/her otherwise assigned school, shall be the responsibility of the parent unless the student can be picked up and dropped off at a stop on a regular transportation route or in specific situations addressed in District guidelines. If the parent is expecting the student to ride a school bus on that basis, notification concerning that expectation to ride the school bus must be given to the Coordinator of Transportation.
CHANGING SCHOOL LEVELS
When a student is changing school levels (elementary to middle school or middle to high school), the student shall be assigned to his/her home school based on where s/he would attend in the absence of this policy. Thus, a student who, for example, is attending a particular middle school after being granted a transfer under this policy will be assigned to a high school as if s/he had not been so transferred unless his/her parent initiates a new intra-district transfer application for high school attendance and that application is granted.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES/SPORTS
Eligibility for participation in an Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned sport shall be governed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association bylaws and is subject to any applicable Board Policy and administrative guidelines, and the Student Code of Conduct/Extra-Curricular Code of Conduct.
The use of influence by a person connected or not connected with a school to secure or to retain a prospective student for participation in interscholastic athletics is not permitted and shall cause the student to be ineligible upon transfer.
Prior to enrollment a prospective student-athlete may visit a school within the District provided the arrangements for the visit are made through the principal of the school to be visited.
No employee of the school system shall initiate any communication with a prospective student-athlete, or parent of a student-athlete, or family member of a student athlete, in person or through a third party, prior to enrollment.
A prospective student-athlete shall not be offered or accept any inducement, such as complimentary tickets, uniforms and/or supplies, other than that which is provided to all students.
Penalties for violation of this regulation by an employee of the District shall include termination of supplemental contract or such other penalties as may be deemed appropriate.
Penalties for violation of this regulation by a student may include forfeiture of games, denial of participation, or such other penalties as may be deemed appropriate.
R.C. 3313.97
Revised 12/96
Revised 2/8/05
Revised 10/11/05
Revised 2/8/16