MJUSD
DIVISION 5000
STUDENTS
OPEN ENROLLMENT ACT TRANSFERS
Students
The Governing Board desires to offer enrollment options in order to provide children with opportunities for academic achievement that meet their diverse needs. Such options shall also be provided to children who reside within another district's boundaries in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation.
Whenever a student is attending a district school on the Open Enrollment List as identified by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, he/she may transfer to another school within or outside of the district, as long as the school to which he/she is transferring has a higher Academic Performance Index. (Education Code 48354, 48356)
A parent/guardian whose child is attending a district school on the Open Enrollment List and who wishes to have his/her child attend another school within the district shall apply for enrollment using BP/AR 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment.
In order to ensure that priorities for enrollment in district schools are implemented in accordance with law, the Board hereby waives the January 1 deadline in Education Code 48354 for all applications for transfer from nonresident parents/guardians of children attending a school on the Open Enrollment List in another district. Transfer applications shall be submitted between April 1 and May 1 of the preceding school year for which the transfer is requested.
The Board may deny a transfer out of or into the district upon a determination by the Board that the transfer would negatively impact a court-ordered or voluntary desegregation plan in accordance with Education Code 48355.
Standards for Rejection of Transfer Applications
Pursuant to Education Code 48356, the Board has adopted the following standards for acceptance and rejection of transfer applications submitted by a parent/guardian of a student attending a school in another district on the Open Enrollment List. The Superintendent or designee shall apply these standards in accordance with Board policy and administrative regulation and shall ensure that the standards are applied uniformly and consistently.
As applicable, the Superintendent or designee may deny a transfer application under any of the following circumstances:
1. Upon a determination that approval of the transfer application would negatively impact the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or school building, including:
a. The class or grade level exceeding the district's limits pursuant to the state Class Size Reduction Program or the Morgan/Hart Class Size Reduction Program for Grades 9-12
b. The site, classroom, or program exceeding the maximum student-teacher ratio specified in the district's collective bargaining agreement
c. The site or classroom exceeding the physical capacity of the facility pursuant to the district's facilities master plan or other facility planning document
d. The class or grade level exceeding capacity pursuant items #a-#c above in subsequent years as the student advances to other grade levels at the school
e. Failure to meet requirements for access to Edwards Air Force Base
2. Upon a determination that approval of the transfer application would have an adverse financial impact on the district, including:
a. The hiring of additional certificated or classified staff
b. The operation of additional classrooms or instructional facilities
c. Expenses incurred by the district that would not be covered by the apportionment of funds received from the state resulting in a reduction of the resources available to resident students
Appeal Process for Denials of Transfer Applications
A parent/guardian may appeal the district's denial of a transfer application to the Board by filing a written request of appeal with the Superintendent or designee within 10 days of the receipt of the written notification of denial. In addition, a parent/guardian who believes he/she has been subject to discrimination may file an appeal using the district's Uniform Complaint Procedures.
The Board shall schedule an appeal hearing as soon as practicable at a regular or special meeting of the Board. At the hearing, the parent/guardian shall have the right to present oral or written evidence, rebut district evidence, and question any district witnesses. Unless the parent/guardian requests that the hearing be held in open session, the hearing shall be held in closed session in order to protect the privacy of students in accordance with law.
The Board shall make its decision by the next regularly scheduled meeting and shall send its decision to all concerned parties. The Board's decision shall be final.
Program Evaluation
The Superintendent or designee shall collect data regarding the number of students who transfer out of the district pursuant to the Open Enrollment Act. He/she also shall collect data regarding the number of students who apply to transfer into the district, the number of requests granted, denied, or withdrawn, and the district schools and programs receiving applications.
When the Superintendent or designee anticipates that a particular school will receive a large number of transfer applications, he/she shall study the enrollment pattern at that school in order to anticipate future resident enrollment at the school and at the district schools into which those students would normally matriculate.
The Superintendent or designee shall regularly report to the Board regarding the implementation of this program.
Legal Reference:
Education Code
200 Prohibition of discrimination
35160.5 District policies, rules, and regulations
46600-46611 Interdistrict attendance agreements
48200 Compulsory attendance
48204 Residency requirements for school attendance
48300-48316 Student attendance alternatives, school district of choice program
48350-48361 Open Enrollment Act
48915 Expulsion; particular circumstances
48915.1 Expelled individuals: enrollment in another district
52317 Regional Occupational Center/Program, enrollment of students, interdistrict attendance
Family Code
6500-6552 Caregivers
United States Code, Title 20
6316 Transfers from program improvement schools
Code of Regulations, Title 5
4700-4703 Open Enrollment Act
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34
200.36 Dissemination of information
200.37 Notice of program improvement status, option to transfer
200.39 Program improvement, transfer option
200.42 Corrective action, transfer option
200.43 Restructuring, transfer option
200.44 Public school choice, program improvement schools
Attorney General Opinions
87 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 132 (2004)
84 Ops.Cal.Atty.Gen. 198 (2001)
Court Decisions
Crawford v. Huntington Beach Union High School District, (2002) 98 Cal.App.4th 1275
First Reading: 12/8/10
Governing Board Adoption: 1/12/11