Policy 0501.90 Student Enrollment and Enrollment Options

Before entering any Program or Activity of the District, all students, including those engaging in the alternative enrollment options detailed below, must complete required Registration and Enrollment activities.

In addition to the traditional full-time enrollment of a resident student attending their local elementary, middle, or high school, families may have other enrollment options including dual enrollment, open enrollment, schools of choice or internal transfers among the schools of the District.

Limitations may exist associated with non-traditional enrollment options, by class, grade, or program, depending upon existing student enrollment, ongoing student growth, facilities/operational limitations, and staffing limitations. The Superintendent or designee shall develop and regularly review enrollment and District limitations and may develop Administrative Regulation detailing appropriate limitations associated with alternative enrollment options.

DEFINITIONS

• Dual Enrollment: Dual Enrollment is a situation where a student is experiencing their education through more than one educational option including the District.

• Enrollment: Provision of evidence of eligibility to attend a District school including but not limited to residence (open enrollment simply residence), acceptable evidence of date and place of birth, legal name, immunizations required by Idaho Law (or suitable waiver), registration procedures and any other requirements of Administrative Regulation.

• In-District Transfer: An In-District Transfer is a student enrolling and attending school in a school other than their home school as determined by District school zones and boundaries.

• Non-Public School Student: Any student who receives educational instruction outside of a public-school classroom and such instruction can include a private school or a home school.

• Open Enrollment: Open Enrollment is a situation where a student who lives outside of the boundaries of the District is permitted to enroll and attend a school within the District.

• Primary Education Provider: That person or entity providing the majority of the non-public school student’s educational instruction outside the public school Programs or Activities.

• Program or Activity: The terms “Program” and “Activity” as used in section 33-203, Idaho Code, shall include any regularly scheduled course of study (i.e., Class) or any regularly scheduled interscholastic activity recognized or sanctioned by the Idaho High School Activities Association. Program or Activity shall not include incidental activities such as school dances or field trips not directly related to or required of an academic class for which the student is properly enrolled.

• Registration: Provision of all student’s educational records, including testing information (where necessary), information associated with student placement, even in situations of dual enrollment or open enrollment and other requirements of Administrative Regulation, placement of a student in appropriate aligned courses.

• Traditional Enrollment: Traditional Enrollment is a student enrolling and attending school in their home school as determined by school zones and boundaries. School of Choice – A school of choice is a school within the District’s educational programs that has a specialized emphasis.

TRADITIONAL ENROLLMENT

The Superintendent or designee shall administer the school attendance boundaries of the District’s schools as per Policy 904.0. The District recognizes that it is in a growing community and that its primary obligation is to provide educational opportunities to those residing within the District's boundaries, including those families that move into the District immediately prior to or during the school year.

IN-DISTRICT TRANSFERS

It shall be the District’s policy to allow intra-District student transfers, subject to limitations and procedures as determined by the Superintendent or designee, with prioritization granted to the children of District Employees who are employed at .50 FTE or greater.

A lottery may be held, if there are more applicants for transfer than the student to teacher ratio can accommodate in a building. Students who are out of District students admitted via the Open Enrollment process must submit a new open enrollment application if they wish to seek enrollment in another school other than that which was granted through the initial Open Enrollment process. In-District transfers also do not apply to Schools of Choice.

SCHOOL OF CHOICE

It shall be the District Policy to offer students an educational setting that matches their talents and interests through Schools of Choice. Enrollment for such schools shall be offered to students, subject to limitations and procedures as determined by the Superintendent or designee.

Once selected for a School of Choice, In-District students may be eligible to continue to attend the school of choice for the following year, without the need for re-application to the School of Choice. Such student/family shall submit a notice of intention to continue enrollment.

Parents of new applicants, including siblings of current attendees who are likewise considered new applicants, must complete the Schools of Choice Online Application, or obtain and complete a Schools of Choice application.

After June 1st, an Out-of-District student will not be approved to attend a School of Choice, even if previously placed on the waiting list.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop a lottery process to be implemented for each School of Choice should the number of qualified applicants exceed capacity. It is understood that certain Schools of Choice do not exercise a traditional lottery process. For the Idaho Fine Arts Academy, it is understood that a Performance Audition is utilized for the school's student selection. For Renaissance High School, Academic metrics are utilized for enrollment determination. The Superintendent or designee shall, in conjunction with these schools of choice, develop a process for implementation of these practices.

DUAL ENROLLMENT

The West Ada School District will allow for the Dual Enrollment of students as provided in Idaho Code, subject to limitations and procedures as determined by the Superintendent or designee. A Dually-Enrolled student in the District, shall only be allowed on the school’s premises, during the school day, when they are engaging in a Program or Activity that is the subject matter of their Dual Enrollment. When the student is not attending a Program or Activity (i.e., where a student’s activities are not contiguous in time) the student shall not be present on the school’s premises. The District is not responsible for the care or supervision of the student for periods before, in between or after Programs or Activities for which the student is enrolled. Dually-Enrolled students may also attend any public event at the school.

Dual Enrollment does not include a student who is enrolled in another Idaho public school District unless the District has a Cooperative Agreement in existence with the student’s home public school District.

A full-time District residential student shall be given priority over a dually enrolled student regarding class selection if a class is at maximum enrollment.

OPEN ENROLLMENT

If a prospective student resides outside the boundaries of the West Ada School District and desires to attend a school within the West Ada School District, the prospective student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) or the adult student must apply for admission to the District, on the designated transfer form. Per Idaho Code, open enrollment applications shall be accepted at any time throughout the year. However, those applications received after February 1st will be considered based on capacity as outlined in Administrative Regulation. Students wishing to continue to Open Enroll in a West Ada School District school in subsequent years must notify the school of their intent to continue enrollment through the process and forms specified by the District. An application for Open Enrollment must be processed by the District within sixty (60) days. If Open Enrollment is denied, the notice to the family/guardian/adult student shall explain the reason for the denial.

Students who have been expelled or are currently expelled from any public school within the state of Idaho or any other state shall not be eligible for provisions of this section. Failure of a student or parent/guardian of a student to disclose such expulsion shall be grounds for immediate revocation of the student's Open Enrollment. Further, a student with a suspension history or who is under current suspension may be denied enrollment if such amounts to a significant disciplinary history.

TRANSPORTATION

Any student participating in an enrollment option other than the school in the attendance area in which their parent(s)/guardian(s) reside, is not guaranteed transportation. Transportation may occur, where practicable and when it complies with the Idaho Code. If transportation is not provided, transportation is the sole responsibility of the student and his/her parent(s)/guardian(s). Refer to policy 702.10 General Operation.

EXTRACURRICULAR / NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Students involved in alternative enrollment opportunities shall be subject to the same eligibility standards as regularly enrolled full-time students.

All non-traditionally enrolled students must meet all prerequisites for enrollment for a program or activity which is required of public-school students.

Eligibility for IHSAA sanctioned activities is controlled by the IHSAA. The District will follow these regulations. It is the responsibility of the student to review Idaho High School Activities Association rules prior to pursuing enrollment.

RULES AND REGULATION

Any student participating in any of the District's enrollment options is subject to and required to follow all the same policies, regulations, and school rules as any regularly enrolled student during the times that the student is present at school or any school-related event or activity. Such policies, regulations and rules will include, but not be limited to, those relating to attendance, grades, prerequisites, classroom conduct and discipline.

SPECIAL STATUS

Nothing in this policy shall override any student’s rights under McKinney Vento, IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The District shall allow any McKinney Vento, IDEA or Section 504 student, who are otherwise qualified to participate in school programs, to enroll in schools and programs under the same criteria and conditions as all other students and receive accommodations in the general education courses if eligible for such plan.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

All students shall be treated equitably with regard to enrollment and enrollment options. No decision shall be based upon the student's age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or other state or federally recognized protected classification.