Applications for all interdistrict attendance transfer permits, may be approved for a maximum of one school year except as provided by law for students entering 11th or 12th grade. (Education Code 46600(a)(4)
INTERDISTRICT TRANSFER APPLICATION TIMELINES AND PROCEDURES
Annual Application Period
Between the second Monday in January and the last Friday in February, parents/guardians shall complete and submit an Application for Interdistrict Attendance Permit ("Application") and registration form to the District Office or any school office for the next school year. The Application may be obtained by contacting the District Office or any school office or online at: https://www.petalumacityschools.org/cms/lib/CA02204883/Centricity/Domain/106/Elementary-Intra-District-1-11-13.pdf.
Definitions:
A. "Business day" means any day when the District Office is open to the public.
B. "Capacity" means the physical capacity of a school or classroom, availability of classrooms, and grade/class or program limits as set forth in collective bargaining agreements or applicable laws and regulations.
C. "Current Interdistrict Students" means students who, in the school year immediately preceding the requested transfer year, attended the school pursuant to an interdistrict transfer permit and desire to return to the same district school for the next school year.
D. "Current Intradistrict Students" means students residing in the district who attended the school pursuant to BP/AR 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment in the school year immediately preceding the requested transfer year and submitted an intradistrict transfer application by the last Friday in February to remain at the same district school for the next school year.
E. "Current Deemed Residents" means students who attended the school pursuant to AR 5111.12 based on parent/guardian employment within district boundaries in the school year immediately preceding the requested transfer year.
F. "New Deemed Residents" means students who plan on attending the school pursuant to AR 5111.12 based on parent/guardian employment within district boundaries in the requested school year, but do not currently attend said school.
G. "New Interdistrict Applicants" means students who live outside district boundaries who do not currently attend the school of desired attendance and have submitted an Application by the last Friday in February pursuant to BP/AR 5117 - Interdistrict Attendance.
H. "New Intradistrict Applicants" means students residing within district boundaries who do not currently attend the school of desired attendance and who have submitted an application by the last Friday in February pursuant to BP/AR 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment.
I. "Persistently Dangerous School" means a school identified by the California Department of Education as a "persistently dangerous school" for the year immediately prior to the requested transfer year.
J. "Residents" mean students who live in the district with their parent/guardian within the school attendance area.
K. "Current Residents of Attendance Area" means students currently enrolled in the district pursuant to AR 5111.12 whose parent/guardian is employed by the district and is assigned, as his/her primary place of employment, to the school of desired attendance or to a district facility located in the attendance area of the school of desired attendance.
L. "New Residents of Attendance Area" means a student not currently enrolled, but wish to enroll in the district pursuant to AR 5111.12, whose parent/guardian is employed by the district and is assigned, as his/her primary place of employment, to the school of desired attendance or to a district facility located in the attendance area of the school of desired attendance.
M. "Victims of Bullying" are students who have been determined by staff of the district or the student's district of residence to be a victim of bullying as defined in Education Code section 48900(r) and who currently attend the desired district school.
N. "Timely Applications" are applications completed between the second Monday in January and the last Friday in February.
Upon receipt of Timely Applications for the ensuing school year, the district will begin the application acceptance process (up to 95% capacity of each school) in the group set forth below.
Group 1
1. Residents
Group 2
2. Current Residents of Attendance Area
3. Current Intradistrict students
4. Current Interdistrict Students.
5. Current Deemed Residents.
Group 3
6. Siblings of Current Residents of Attendance Area
7. Siblings of Current Intradistrict Students
8. Siblings of Current Interdistrict Students
9. Siblings of Current Deemed Residents
Group 4
10. New Residents of Attendance Area
Group 5
11. New Deemed Residents
12. New Intradistrict Applicants
13. New Interdistrict Applicants
If the number of Applications exceeds the capacity of a school, class, or program, approval shall be determined by lottery in the order listed below:
Lottery I will include students in group 1.
Lottery II will include students in group 2.
Lottery III will include students in group 3.
Lottery IV will include students in group 4.
Lottery V will include students in group 5.
Alternate School Placement / Wait List
A student whose Application is denied due to capacity will be placed on a wait list. If an alternate school is specified on the Application, the parent/guardian will also be notified of the opportunity to enroll at the alternate school, if capacity permits.
Notice
Applications that are incomplete or do not state a valid basis for approval will be denied. An acceptance or denial notice will be mailed to parents/guardians.
New Residents
Students who have been conditionally accepted on or before May 15 or the Extended Date, must provide satisfactory documentation of residency prior to the end of May or risk removal from School Placement List.
Untimely Applications
Applications submitted outside the Application Period may be considered for enrollment after all timely Applications.
Acceptance of Terms and Conditions of Permit to Transfer to District
Enrollment as an interdistrict student is subject to written acceptance of the terms and conditions of the transfer permit (Exhibit A).
The parent/guardian of any student whose Application has been approved, must acknowledge acceptance of the terms and conditions of the transfer by completing the registration process at the approved school site, the district office or through online registration. If the registration process is not received within the 15-day period, the district may revoke acceptance of the Application.
BASIS FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS
The Superintendent or designee may approve an Application for the following reasons:
1. When the student has been determined by staff of either the district of residence or district of proposed attendance to be a victim of an act of bullying as defined in Education Code 48900(r), committed by a student of the district of residence.
(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)
2. To meet the child care needs of the student
Such students may continue to attend district schools only as long as they continue to use a child care provider within district boundaries.
3. To meet the student's special mental or physical health needs as certified by a physician, school psychologist, or other appropriate school personnel
(cf. 6159 - Individualized Education
4. To avoid splitting the family's attendance when the student has siblings attending school in a district of desired attendance.
5. To allow a student to complete a school year when his/her parents/guardians have moved out of the district during that year
6. To allow students to remain with a class graduating that year from an elementary, junior or senior high school
7. To allow seniors to attend the same school they attended as juniors.
8. When the parent/guardian provides satisfactory written evidence (e.g., signed lease or purchase agreement for a house, apartment or condominium) that the family will be moving to the district of desired attendance in the immediate future and request student placement as "Residents"
9. When the student will be living out of the district only for one year or less
10. When recommended by the School Attendance Review Board or by county child welfare, probation or social service agency staff in documented cases of serious home or community problems which make it inadvisable for the student to attend school in the district of residence
(cf. 5113.1 - Chronic Absence and Truancy)
11. When there is valid interest in a particular educational program not offered in the district of residence
12. To provide a change in school environment for reasons of personal and social adjustment
13. Student's parent or guardian is employed by the district.
14. Student's parent or guardian is employed within district boundaries for a minimum of 10 hours during the school week.
15. Student has been the victim of a violent criminal offense while on school grounds in his/her district of residence or resides in the attendance area of a "persistently dangerous" school in his/her district of residence.
Interdistrict attendance applications and permits shall not be required for students enrolling in a regional occupation center or program. (Education Code 52317)
BASIS FOR DENIAL OF APPLICATIONS
The Superintendent or designee may deny an Application for the following reasons:
1. Approval of the Application would negatively impact the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or school building.
2. Approval of the Application would have an adverse financial impact on the district including, but not limited to:
a. The hiring of additional certificated or classified staff;
b. The operation of additional classrooms or instructional facilities; and
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.
3. Students is under consideration for expulsion or has been expelled
4. Student is subject to a Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) contract or is not maintaining an attendance rate of at least 90%
5. Student is currently not making grade level progress (K-6), have a current cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 (7-12), or is more than 10 credits behind on-track progress toward a diploma for each year of high school enrollment (9-12).
6. Student has been suspended for bullying, harassment, threats, violence, possession of weapons, or use/possession/sales of illegal substances or alcohol or other school conduct violations
RIGHT TO APPEAL
As specified in Education Code 46601, the Superintendent or designee shall notify parents/guardians of a student who is denied interdistrict attendance regarding the right to appeal to the County Board of Education within 30 calendar days of the denial.
(cf. 5145.6 - Parental Notifications)
Students under consideration for expulsion or who have been expelled may not appeal interdistrict attendance denials or revocations while expulsion proceedings are pending or during the term of the expulsion. (Education Code 46601)
BASIS FOR REVOCATION OF PERMITS
The Superintendent or designee may revoke an interdistrict attendance permit on the following grounds:
1. Information on the application, or information upon which the permit was granted is determined to be false or fraudulent;
2. The terms of the permit have not been met;
3. The district makes a determination that the continuing presence of the student would interfere with the needs of the district, the best interests of the students, or both.
4. Failure to sign and return the permit within 15 days after the date of notice of acceptance.
Every interdistrict attendance permit shall stipulate the terms and conditions under which the permit may be revoked. (Education Code 46600)
The district will give ten business days' notice to parents/guardians prior to the effective date of revocation.
(cf. 5144 - Discipline)
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation shall not be provided for students admitted pursuant to an interdistrict attendance permit however, upon request, the Superintendent or designee, may authorize transportation to and from a designated bus stop within district boundaries if space is available on a district school bus.
(cf. 3250 - Transportation Fees)
Regulation PETALUMA CITY SCHOOLS
approved: June 25, 2002 Petaluma, California
revised: April 8, 2008
revised: June 28, 2011
revised: May 14, 2013
revised: January 7, 2020