Under Arizona State law, students may attend any public school outside of their attendance area. The Alhambra Elementary School District established an open enrollment policy that enables students to attend any Alhambra school free of charge for nonresident students and resident transfer students.

Student Definitions

Nonresident student means a student who resides in this state and who is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the pupil resides.

Resident transfer student means a resident student who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the school district, but outside the attendance area, of the pupil’s residence.

Enrollment Priorities

If there is excess capacity to enroll additional students, the following enrollment priorities are followed for admittance of students. Enrollment preference shall be given to:

• resident transfer students whose school of attendance is categorized as being in “school improvement” and parents request a transfer to a district school that is not in “school improvement.”
• resident transfer students who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled. 
• nonresident students who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled. 
• resident transfer students who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.
• nonresident students who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.

*If capacity is limited, to enroll of these students, they shall be selected from a waiting list based on the date the variance was submitted to the principal.

Admission Criteria

The district will determine admission of nonresident and transfer students based on the following criteria:

• Students are eligible for admission if they have not been expelled by any school district in this state and if there is no condition of disciplinary action imposed by any other school or school district or with a condition imposed by the juvenile. Acceptance for enrollment may be revoked upon finding the existence of any of these conditions.
• The student’s admission does not violate the provisions of a court order of desegregation or agreement by a school or district with the United State Department of Education Office for Civil Rights directed toward remediating alleged or proven racial discrimination.

Application Procedures

Parents interested in enrolling their children through the open enrollment process must complete an Open Enrollment Application and submit it to the school principal. Principals will notify parents if the application was accepted, or if the student was placed on a waiting list due to capacity limits.

JFB OPEN  ENROLLMENT

The District has an open-enrollment program as set forth in A.R.S. 15-816 et seq.  The open enrollment program described in this policy shall be placed on the District website and made available to the public on request.

No tuition shall be charged for open enrollment, except as authorized by applicable provisions of A.R.S. 15-764, 15-797, 15-823, 15-824, and 15-825.

Definitions

Resident transfer pupil means a resident pupil who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the school district - but outside the attendance area - of the pupil's residence.

Nonresident pupil means a pupil who resides in this state and who is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the pupil resides.

Enrollment  Options

District resident pupils may enroll in another school district or in another school within this District.  Resident transfer pupils and nonresident pupils may enroll in schools within this District, subject to the procedures that follow.

Information and Application

The Superintendent shall prepare a written information packet concerning the District's application process, standards for acceptance or rejection, and policies, regulations, and procedures for open enrollment.  The packet will be made available to everyone who requests it.

The information packet shall include the enrollment application form and shall advise applicants that they must submit enrollment applications on or before May 1st to be considered for enrollment during the following school year.

Capacity

The Superintendent shall annually estimate how much excess capacity may exist to accept transfer pupils.  The estimate of excess capacity shall be made for each school and grade level and shall take into consideration:

●  District resident pupils in assigned school attendance areas, including those issued certificates of educational convenience and those required to be admitted by statute.

●  The enrollment of eligible children of persons who are employed by the District.

●  Resident transfer pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.

●  Nonresident pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.

The Governing Board shall make the final determination of excess capacity and may require resident transfer pupils and/or nonresident pupils to be subject to the enrollment priorities and procedures found below.  The excess-capacity estimates shall be made available to the public in September of each year.

Enrollment Priorities

If the Governing Board has determined that there is excess capacity to enroll additional pupils, such pupils shall be selected on the basis of designated priority categories from the pool of pupils:

●  Who have properly completed and submitted applications; and

●  Who meet admission standards.

Enrollment priorities and procedures for selection shall be in the order and in accordance with the following:

●  Enrollment preference shall be given to resident transfer pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled concurrently with such pupils.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.

●  Enrollment preference shall be given to nonresident pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled concurrently with such pupils.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.

●  Enrollment preference shall be given to resident transfer pupils who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.

●  Enrollment preference shall be given to nonresident pupils who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.

Enrollment preference may be given to children who are in foster care.

Admission Standards

A school district may refuse to admit any pupil who has been expelled from another educational institution or who is in the process of being expelled from another educational institution.

Notification

The District shall notify the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian in writing by the last day of the school year whether the applicant has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity, or rejected.  The District shall also notify the resident school district of an applicant's acceptance or placement on a waiting list.  If the applicant is placed on a waiting list, the notification shall inform the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian of the date when it will be determined whether there is capacity for additional enrollment in a school.  If the pupil's application is rejected, the reason for the rejection shall be stated in the notification.

As provided by A.R.S. 15-816.07, the District and its employees are immune from civil liability for decisions relative to the acceptance or rejection of the enrollment of a nonresident student when the decisions are based on good faith application of this policy and the applicable statutory requirements and standards.

Exception

Should there be excess capacity remaining for which no applications were submitted by the date established, the Superintendent, upon approval by the Board, shall authorize additional enrollment of nonresident pupils:

●  Up to the determined capacity.

●  On the basis of the order of the completed applications submitted after the notification date established in this policy.

●  Without regard to enrollment preference.

●  As long as admission standards are met.

Adopted:  October 5, 2017

LEGAL REF.: 
A.R.S.
8-371 
15-764
15-797
15-816 et seq.
15-823
15-824
15-825
15-841
15-922

CROSS REF.: 
EEAA - Walkers and Riders
IIB - Class Size
JF - Student Admissions
JFAA - Admission of Resident Students
JFAB - Admission of Nonresident Students
JFABD - Admission of Homeless Students
JG - Assignment of Students to Classes and Grade Levels