Policy 5.015

Student Reassignment

1. Attendance Where Assigned.-- Except as otherwise allowed below and approved by the appropriate processes (or except as allowed by assignment to an alternative school or admission to a choice program such as a magnet program, career academy, or charter school), all students residing within a particular attendance zone shall attend the assigned school for the zone of residence. No student may enroll in a school outside the regular attendance boundary in anticipation of receiving an approved transfer.

2. Limited Scope.-- This Policy is not intended to govern assignments under Policy 5.01(1)(c), transfers or reassignments under applicable collective bargaining agreements or under special statutory transfer programs such as the No Child Left Behind Act, the charter schools statute, the Opportunity Scholarships Program, or McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program. Transfers under those agreements or programs shall be governed by the applicable contract terms or statutes. Because pre-kindergarten is not a mandatory program, no reassignment options are available for pre-K students.

3. Discretion to Consider Requests.-- The School Board has delegated to the Superintendent and/or Department of Choice Programs and School Choice the authority to consider and approve, when appropriate, individual reassignment requests for students who desire to attend a school other than the one to which the student was assigned by virtue of Policy 5.01, as the address of the parent or adult student.

4. Conditions Precedent to Requests.-- Attendance and discipline records influence reassignment requests. Both of the following subsections (a) and (b) are conditions precedent to allowing a request for reassignment:

1. except under subsections (5)(a) or (h) below, the Department of Choice Programs and School Choice must verify that the proposed receiving school has not reached 100% of capacity under the Florida Inventory of School Houses (except that no reassignment will be allowed, regardless of the level of service, when:

1. the school is a new facility in its first school year;

2. construction-related issues exist, leading to crowding on the campus; or

3. special programs at the school lead to lack of available classrooms); and

2. the requesting student must currently reside in Palm Beach County Florida, except under subsection (5)(c) below.

5. Bases for Requests.-- To request reassignment, the parent/student must use the applicable District form (PBSD 0249), which is incorporated herein by reference and may be found on the District's Web site at: www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/FormSearch.asp, which must indicate that the parent/student has read and understood and had an opportunity to ask questions about the form and agrees to its provisions, including that the student may be required to return to the school in his/her assigned attendance area for the reasons stated in section (12) below. The allowable bases for reassignment are:

1. Moving into the Zone.-- When a student will be moving into a new attendance zone within 90 calendar days (as documented with valid proof, such as a deed for the new home, approved building permit, or notarized lease or rental agreement), the student may request to be currently reassigned to the school for the new residence.

2. Completing the School Year.-- A student may request to finish the school year at the school where the student currently attends, in spite of moving to another attendance area after the first grading period.

3. High-School Senior's Privilege.-- Seniors who attended their assigned schools as juniors may be to be allowed to remain in that same school as a senior, if they have at least seventeen (17) credits with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the beginning of the school year, in spite of moving out of the attendance zone.

4. Extenuating Health Circumstances.-- Any extenuating health circumstances asserted as a basis for reassignment must be documented by a student reassignment health confirmation form (PBSD 1893), which is incorporated herein by reference and may be found on the District's Web site at: www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/FormSearch.asp. This form must be completed by a physician (who must specify the health-related reasons why reassignment is necessary or desirable). Reasons based on mental health must be stated by a Board-certified psychiatrist who is not related to the student. All stated health reasons will be subject to medical review and must be documented to the satisfaction of the Superintendent/designee.

5. Supervision Hardship.-- When pre- and/or post-school-day supervision is determined to be necessary, but is not available at or near the student's assigned school, a supervision-hardship reassignment may be approved only for students in grades K-5. The hardship must be documented with a parent employment verification and a reassignment supervision hardship form (PBSD 0879), which is incorporated herein by reference and may be found on the District's Web site at: www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/FormSearch.asp.

6. Into-County High School Schedule or Curriculum Compatibility.-- A student transferring into Palm Beach County during the school year may request reassignment to a school where compatible scheduling or curriculum is possible. The reassignment will be for the current school year only.

7. Majority-to-Minority.-- Students attending their regularly assigned school and who are of the majority race/ethnicity/socioeconomic status (classified by whether or not the student is eligible for free/reduced-price lunch) at that school have first priority for a transfer assignment to a school in which their race/ethnicity/socioeconomic status is in the minority.

1. An application for transfer form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian of the student and forwarded to the District office designated on the application form. Application forms will be available in each public school in Palm Beach County and at the District office, as well as on the District's Web site.

2. Absent special circumstances, all transfer requests will be processed in the order they are received.

3. Transportation will be provided to those exercising their right to transfer under this rule if there is an existing bus route and space on that bus; thus, parents requesting such majority to minority transfers for their children should select a school reasonably close to their home, such that the distance traveled or time required for travel is not substantially increased. Should such transfer substantially increase the distance traveled, the Superintendent may deny the transfer.

4. Custodial parents/guardians will be notified in writing of approval or disapproval of the request.

5. The Superintendent shall inform all parents about the provisions of the majority to minority transfer rule by placing the information about the rule in the student/parent handbook and by providing each student a copy of the handbook.

8. District Employees.-- As a retention incentive, employees may request reassignments for their children under the following circumstances:

1. If an employee works at a school other than the one assigned by residence area, the employee may request reassignment for their children, of the appropriate grade level, to that school.

2. District employees may make hardship reassignment requests to schools other than where they live with the approval of the receiving principal and if space is available in that grade. This request may involve students not residing within Palm Beach County.

9. Other Good Cause Shown.-- A reassignment may be approved, on a case-by-case basis, if other good and sufficient cause is demonstrated.

6. Process for Requesting Reassignment.-- The specific reason(s) for a reassignment request must be explained on the appropriate District form (PBSD 0249), which is incorporated herein by reference and may be found on the District's Web site at: www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/FormSearch.asp.

1. Absent special circumstances for hardship cases or when the reason for reassignment arises for the first time after the prescribed date, the application for student reassignment must be submitted by the parent, legal guardian, or person acting as a parent between April 1 and June 1 for first semester placement; and requests for second semester placement must be submitted between October 1 and October 31. Application processing can take up to six (6) weeks.

2. The application must be submitted to the Department of Choice Programs and School Choice. The specific school requested in a different attendance zone is subject to change during review by the department.

3. A reassignment shall remain in effect until the end of the school year. Continuation beyond that period will be based on school capacity and continuing need, as reviewed by the receiving school's principal.

7. Appeals Process.-- In cases in which a reassignment request that has met the conditions precedent (under section (4) above) is not approved, the student or his/her parent shall have the right of appeal to the Superintendent's Transfer Review Committee.

8. Effect on Extracurriculars.-- Reassignment does not guarantee eligibility for athletic teams or other extracurricular activities, except as otherwise allowed by law.

9. Transportation.-- Reassigned students shall be required to provide their own transportation, unless the reassignment was based on the reasons stated above in subsections (5)(g) or (h).

10. Failure to Meet Conditions Precedent, as Basis for Denial.-- Reassignment requests which do not meet the conditions precedent as stated within section (4) above will not be approved.

11. Voluntary Return to Assigned School.-- Upon request, a student shall be permitted to return to the assigned school serving his/her attendance zone; however, such revocation of reassignment shall be made at the end of a semester unless there are extenuating circumstances.

12. Required Return to Assigned School.-- School reassignment is subject to change by the Department of Choice Programs and School Choice and the receiving school's principal for good cause upon review. In cases where a reassignment was for the purpose of allowing a student to attend a school in an area outside of his/her assigned area, the student may be required to return (after three calendar days) to the school in his/her assigned attendance area if:

1. the student becomes a discipline problem at the receiving school by committing a Level 3 or Level 4 infraction as categorized in Policy 5.1811 and Policy 5.1812 (for elementary students) or 5.1813 (for secondary students) (with the return being subject to the provisions of IDEA or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as reflected in the provisions of the student's IEP or 504 plan, if any);

2. the student demonstrates a substantial attendance problem at the receiving school by accumulating four (4) unexcused absences (or absences for which the reasons are unknown) within a calendar month, or eight (8) unexcused absences (or absences for which the reasons are unknown) within a 90-calendar-day period (with the return being subject to the provisions of IDEA or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act as reflected in the provisions of the student's IEP or 504 plan, if any);

3. the student's parent/guardian is unable or unwilling to work cooperatively within the policies and procedures of the reassigned school and that lack of cooperation appears to affect the student's cooperation or conduct;

4. the reasons for the reassignment are no longer valid (e.g., the parent no longer has a supervision hardship within the scope of form PBSD 0879, which is incorporated herein by reference and may be found on the District's Web site at: www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/Records/FormSearch.asp);

5. it comes to the attention of the school that the reassignment or registration request was fraudulent (e.g. was intended to circumvent athletics-eligibility rules or was supported by false documentation, in which case any further reassignments will be precluded for the remainder of the year);

6. the student fails to enroll in the reassigned school in a timely manner or withdraws from the reassigned school; or

7. the school's utilization has increased to exceed 100% of capacity under the Florida Inventory of School Houses.