BP 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment
Policy Adopted: November 17, 2016
Reviewed: November 3, 2022

The Governing Board desires to provide enrollment options that meet the diverse needs and interests of district students and parents/guardians, while also maximizing the efficient use of district facilities. The Superintendent or designee shall establish procedures for the selection and transfer of students among district schools in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation.
(cf. 5117 - Interdistrict Attendance)

The parents/guardians of any student who resides within district boundaries may apply to enroll their child in any district school, regardless of the location of their residence within the district. (Education Code 35160.5)
(cf. 5111.1 - District Residency)

The Board shall annually review this policy. (Education Code 35160.5, 48980)

Enrollment Priorities

No student currently residing within a school’s attendance area shall be displaced by another student transferring from outside the attendance area. (Education Code 35160.5)
(cf. 5116 - School Attendance Boundaries)

The Superintendent or designee shall grant priority to any district student to attend another district school, including a charter school, outside of his/her attendance area as follows:

1. Any student enrolled in a district school designated by the California Department of Education as "persistently dangerous" (20 USC 7912; 5 CCR 11992)
(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)

2. Any student who is a victim of a violent crime while on school grounds (20 USC 7912)

3. Upon a finding that special circumstances exist that might be harmful or dangerous to the student in the current attendance area. Special circumstances include, but are not limited to, threats of bodily harm or threats to the emotional stability of the student. Any such student may transfer to a district school that is at capacity and otherwise closed to transfers. To grant priority under these circumstances, the Superintendent or designee must have received either: (Education Code 35160.5)
a. A written statement from a representative of an appropriate state or local agency, including, but not necessarily limited to, a law enforcement official, social worker, or a properly licensed or registered professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or marriage and family therapist
b. A court order, including a temporary restraining order and injunction

4. Any sibling of a student already in attendance in that school

5. Any student whose parent/guardian is assigned to that school as his/her primary place of employment

Application and Selection Process

In order to ensure that priorities for enrollment in district schools are implemented in accordance with law, applications for intradistrict open enrollment shall be submitted in the annually advertised open enrollment period of the school year preceding the school year for which the transfer is requested.

The Superintendent or designee shall calculate each school's capacity in a nonarbitrary manner using student enrollment and available space. (Education Code 35160.5)

Except for priorities listed above, the Superintendent or designee shall use a random, unbiased selection process to determine who shall be admitted whenever the school receives admission requests that are in excess of the school's capacity. (Education Code 35160.5)

Enrollment decisions shall not be based on a student's academic or athletic performance, except that existing entrance criteria for specialized schools or programs may be used provided that the criteria are uniformly applied to all applicants. Academic performance may be used to determine eligibility for, or placement in, programs for gifted and talented students. (Education Code 35160.5)
(cf. 6172 - Gifted and Talented Student Program)

Transportation

Except as required for students who transferred out of a Title I program improvement school, the district shall not be obligated to provide transportation for students who attend school outside their attendance area.

Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
200 Prohibition against discrimination 35160.5 District policies; rules and regulations 35291 Rules
35351 Assignment of students to particular schools 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
48980 Notice at beginning of term CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
11992-11994 Definition of persistently dangerous schools UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
6311 State plans
7912 Transfers from persistently dangerous schools