Policy 5.01

Student Assignment

1. General Criteria

   1. All students in Palm Beach County schools shall be assigned annually to the school which they are to attend under the authority of the Board and by direction of the Superintendent.

   2. Students shall be assigned to schools based on residence of the student/parent(s)/legal guardian as stated below, within the attendance boundaries which have been established by the Board in a manner which maintains a unitary school system consistent with Policy 1.04.

      1. The residence of a minor student shall be the primary residence of his/her parent.  Parent is defined in Fla. Stat. § 1000.21(5) (which includes a legal guardian). The residence of a student who is emancipated, as set forth in School Board Policy 5.072, shall be the primary residence of the student. If an issue arises as to any student's primary residence, the issue shall be decided by the processes stated within School Board Policy 5.011.

      2. As set forth in Policy 5.011, the Superintendent/Designee may determine residence based upon review and approval of supporting documentation, and if applicable a legitimate Affidavit of Person Acting as Parent form (PBSD 1543) and/or Affidavit of Residence form (PBSD 1866), as incorporated therein.

      3. Exceptions to this residency requirement are stated within School Board Policy 5.011 (1)(a), (4), and (5).

   3. When attendance boundaries are changed, elementary and secondary students with one (1) year remaining in their present school will have the option of remaining at that school, but this shall not automatically entitle the student to District transportation. Younger siblings of the student(s) with (1) year remaining will not be included within this provision. Families that wish for their siblings to remain together must enroll the student(s) in the new attendance boundary for the primary residence of the student/parent(s)/legal guardian or seek an alternative method of student assignment as stated within sub-paragraph 1(d) below. When considering attendance boundary adjustments, the Board, exercising its own discretion, may extend this option to other students with more than one (1) year remaining, so long as the extension is in conformance with the attendance zone criteria in section (2) below. Boundary changes that affect limited grade levels of specified SAC zones over a multi-year period may require a transportation cost analysis by the District Transportation Department to determine the feasibility of transportation routes and cost implications. Grade levels of students may be assigned annually, with or without transportation, to the school which they are to attend under the authority of the Board and by direction of the Superintendent.

   4. Alternative methods of student assignment, such as choice enrollment, administrative reassignments as set forth in Policy 5.015, and/or program decisions (magnet, gifted, ESE), will supersede provisions for student assignment in this policy to the extent they are inconsistent with the attendance zone criteria. Admissions of siblings who are not in the alternative method of assignment are governed by reassignment Policy 5.015. Per School Board Policy 5.011 Section (1)(a), absent an approved alternative method of assignment or reassignment, students must attend the school in the school attendance boundary where the student/parent(s)/legal guardian resides as set forth herein.

   5. Nothing herein shall prevent the Superintendent or designee, in or through the area office, from making individual student moves that are implemented for the purposes of preserving the health, safety or welfare of a student and/or school.

      1. This provision applies to individual, as opposed to group, student assignments and does not constitute a boundary change.

      2. Compliance is still required with other School Board policies, such as School Concurrency and unitary status.

      3. The selection of the school will be based on, but not limited to, such factors as complying with other district policies, the appropriate program, distance from the student's home, and transportation.

   6. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Superintendent may bring to the School Board for approval a plan for meeting Class Size Reduction (CSR) requirements that involves non-boundary change solutions such as school enrollment caps, partnership agreements between adjacent schools of the same type, and other alternative strategies identified in CSR plans.

2. Attendance Zone Criteria

   1. When drawing attendance boundaries, the School Board, Superintendent, District staff and the Advisory Boundary Committee must review the student capacity of each facility for reasonable efforts to achieve optimal utilization. Boundary decisions must consider the District's concurrency policy and the applicable portion of the executed Interlocal Agreement for Public School Concurrency recorded on January 25, 2001, ORB 12272, PG 973 for Palm Beach County, as amended from time to time, which pertains to assignment of students. A copy of this agreement is available at the Board Office.

   2. All boundary recommendations and decisions shall also consider the following criteria:

      1. The creation or modification of boundaries shall not knowingly promote inequitable student assignment as related to transportation time and distance for all racial and ethnic groups of students, as it relates to loading of school centers.

      2. Zone boundaries should be as compact as possible to minimize bus travel time and facilitate student participation in extra-curricular activities. The district will adhere to applicable state and federal laws, including Florida Administrative Code Chapter 6-A, when creating attendance zones.

      3. The student capacity of each facility should be considered and initial enrollments set to ensure optimal utilization, while allowing for growth wherever needed.

      4. The movement of students from current school attendance zone configurations should be minimized to the greatest extent possible, if not in conflict with other parameters.

      5. The creation of "islands" or "fingers" that isolate distinctly identifiable ethnic/racial groups shall be avoided.

      6. To the maximum extent possible, a feeder system in which two (2) to three (3) middle schools "feed" a high school; and two (2) to four (4) elementary schools "feed" a middle school should be created. The majority of each school's students should come from a minimum number of feeder schools. Feeder systems should be developed on projected growth patterns, the projected locations of new schools, and the possible abandonment of existing facilities.

      7. The integrity of subdivisions should be maintained. (NOTE: developments such as planned unit developments (PUDs) may consist of multiple distinct subdivisions.)

      8. Based on the School Board's finding that promoting socioeconomic diversity of the student population within schools has an educational basis supported by research, data concerning the socioeconomic status of students (based on free and reduced-price lunch data) may be considered in determining student attendance boundaries, provided that:

         1. the data is just one of many factors considered and does not receive disproportionate weight, and generally should not result in substantially greater transportation times; and

         2. use of such data is for race-neutral educational reasons not motivated by racial/ethnic considerations and is not a proxy for consideration of race/ethnicity.

      9. The health, safety, and welfare of the students in the learning environment, as determined by the Superintendent, may also be considered.

3. Attendance Boundary Time Line.-- It is intended that all attendance boundary changes be adopted by the Board no later than January of each calendar year for the following school year, although it is recognized that this preferred deadline may not be met for reasons such as the number of boundary changes and any controversy surrounding proposed changes.

4. Boundary Development or Amendment Process

   1. District staff reviews scheduled opening dates of new schools, implementation of magnet/choice schools or programs, and the enrollment, capacity, and feeder patterns of each school.

   2. Staff targets schools impacted by the opening of new schools, implementation of magnet/choice schools or programs, or construction of new residential developments, and schools with conditions such as over- or under-enrollment that may be eased through boundary changes.

   3. Staff drafts initial boundary proposals and identifies schools impacted by possible boundary changes. The District's Advisory Boundary Committee ("ABC") reviews and discusses these proposals at open public meetings and may suggest modifications or request alternative proposals. In their review of and recommendations on District school attendance boundaries, ABC members shall consider and follow the attendance zone criteria within Sections (1) and (2) above, and any other applicable Board Policies and requirements of law.

   4. Upon that identification, District staff shall provide notice through multiple information outlets, so that parents and members of communities that staff believes in good faith may potentially sustain an impact due to a possible boundary change will have an opportunity to be aware of regular ABC meetings, community input meetings, and public Board workshops and hearings related to boundary adjustments. Written notification shall include the proposals related to the possible boundary adjustment and should be sent at least one (1) week prior to the meeting, or immediately upon scheduling of such meeting if less than one (1) week. Notification types shall include but are not limited to:

      1. Written notification to the principal and school advisory council ("SAC") chair of schools potentially impacted by boundary change;

      2. Written notification to municipal managers and chairs of municipal education boards of municipalities potentially impacted by boundary change;

      3. Providing regular ABC meeting dates to local media outlets; and

      4. Posting of regular ABC meeting, community input meeting, and public Board workshop and hearing dates, times and locations on the School District's web site.

      5. A courtesy notice will be sent to owners of any known planned residential developments within the area affected by a proposed boundary change.

   5. Members of the public will be given an opportunity to address the ABC regarding any agenda item at the public meetings, consistent with Policy 5.012(7)(j)(ii), after the presentation by staff but before deliberations by the ABC. Speakers may be limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes each.

   6. Members of the public who purport to represent or speak on behalf of others, such as homeowners associations or municipal education boards, should provide evidence of such representation or group opinion such as by citing a recent and relevant survey, petition, or resolution when contacting or appearing before ABC or staff. This information shall also be cited on their ABC speaker card.

   7. Community informational meetings are conducted by the ABC. Notification letters or other more economical methods of notification (such as ParentLink) shall be made to all parents of children within the SAC and other areas for the school. 

   8. Staff prepares a summary of community informational meetings, with any requested boundary revisions, within five (5) business days after the meeting.

   9. ABC presents its recommendations to the Superintendent. Dissenting viewpoints may also be presented to the Superintendent. The ABC's minutes will reflect the vote and a brief explanation of dissenting views.

   10. The Superintendent makes a final recommendation to the Board, generally within two (2) weeks of the ABC presentation, and this recommendation may differ from the ABC's recommendation.

   11. The Board holds a workshop with ABC and District staff on proposed boundary changes.

   12. Staff prepares and has published a 14-days' rule-development notice. Afterwards, the Board holds a public rule-development workshop/meeting ("development reading") in which citizens may appear before the Board to discuss attendance boundary recommendations for the coming school year.

   13. Staff prepares and has published a 28-days' rule-adoption notice. Afterwards, the Board holds a  meeting ("second reading") on the attendance boundaries proposed for adoption. Attendance boundary decisions made at this meeting are final unless substantive changes are made, and then a final adoption vote is scheduled in the future (to occur after another 28-days' rulemaking notice).

5. Choice Options and Controlled Open Enrollment.-- The Board recognizes that, within the parameters of applicable choice programs or controlled open enrollment plan, parents may choose to have the student attend a school other than the school that the student would attend under the regular attendance zone assignment.

   1. Choice Programs.-- Various choice-based programs are available in this District, such as virtual instructional programs, magnet schools, career academies, alternative schools, special programs, advanced placement, dual enrollment, and public charter schools, as stated in Fla. Stat. § 1002.31(2), (8).

   2. Controlled Open Enrollment.-- "Controlled open enrollment" means "a public education delivery system that allows school districts to make student school assignments using parents' indicated preferential school choice as a significant factor." Fla. Stat. § 1002.31(1). Such system may be offered in this District, as allowed by Fla. Stat. § 1002.31(2).

      1. Pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 1002.31(2), controlled open enrollment shall be in addition to the existing choice programs that are listed in subsection (3)(a).

      2. Any controlled open enrollment plan offered by the District shall have prior approval of the School Board and shall include the elements required by law, such as: consideration of an application process; a parental-preference declaration process; encouragement of placing siblings in the same school; a lottery-based assignment procedure; an appeals procedure for hardship cases; procedures to maintain socioeconomic, demographic, and racial balance; availability of transportation; parental involvement; and a clearinghouse of information designed to assist parents in making informed choices, pursuant to Fla. Stat. § 1002.31(5).

      3. If a significant percentage of students assigned to a given school choose to leave that site in favor of another school, the District will seek to determine whether a problem is perceived with the assigned school, and take steps to ameliorate such problems.