Policies
Book:	Policies
Section:	2000 - Student Services
Title:	Student Transfers
Number:	2103
Status:	Active
Legal:
Adopted:	06/24/2008
Last Revised:	03/30/2009
Last Reviewed:

Policy Detail

PURPOSE: To authorize, under certain circumstances and conditions, student transfers to attend schools outside of their attendance zones.

NOTE: Students who attended a school on an approved transfer prior to October 23, 2007, may continue, upon request, to attend the school until completion of its sequence of grades.

Universal Considerations

All transfer requests shall be considered for approval within the constraints of school, grade level, and classroom capacities and/or program or curriculum availability. Requests to transfer for students who require special programs will only be considered if the required services are available at the requested school.

Reasons for Student Transfers

A request for a student transfer may be approved for the following reasons:

1. To accommodate the parents/guardians of elementary and middle school children when it is necessary for someone in a different school attendance area to care for the student before and/or after school. The child care provider’s residence and/or day care center must be located within the attendance area of the requested school. Personnel at the requested school shall verify that (1) the child care provider is located within the school’s attendance area, and (2) the child is actually under the supervision of the child care provider as stated on the student transfer request. A completed child care verification form must be included with the student transfer request. Additional explanation is required for this rationale at the high school level.

2. To meet the specific medical, emotional, and adjustive needs of a student. Documentation (e.g., from physicians, psychologists, or counselors) that addresses the problem and specifies the manner in which a transfer out of a particular school shall meet the student’s needs is required and must be included with the student transfer request.

3. To allow children of part-time or full-time school division employees who reside in Stafford County to attend the school in which the parent is employed or the school nearest the employee’s work location. The student must reside with the school division employee.

4. To allow a student to enroll and remain for the year in a sequential (multi-year) curricular program which is not offered at their base school. For example, requests may be submitted for a student transfer for an International Baccalaureate (IB) program if the base school does not offer the desired program of study.

5. To allow a student to enroll in a school based on an instructional time configuration not available at their base school. For example, requests may be submitted for a high school operating a block schedule if the base school operates a traditional schedule, or vice versa.

6. To allow a student to transfer who has been the victim of a violent crime and for whom a new school location is deemed more appropriate than the base school.

7. To allow students to transfer to a school based on some other valid need. The reason for transfer must be described on the student transfer request and any substantiating documentation must be included with the request.

Conditions for Student Transfers

1. Student transfer requests are approved for one school year only.

2. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/ guardian.

3. Students may be ineligible to participate in Virginia High School League (VHSL)-sponsored activities per VHSL eligibility rules.

Appeals of Transfer Decisions

The parent, guardian, or student 18 years old or older may appeal, in writing, a denial of a request for a student transfer to the superintendent/designee. An appeal must be received within 30 calendar days of the receipt of notification of the decision to deny a student transfer.

Adopted: 06/24/08

Edited by Superintendent: 03/30/2009
________________________________________________________________

Legal Refs.: 20 U.S.C. § 7912.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended,
§§ 22.1-3, 22.1-3.3.

Created on 06/13/2008 at 07:47 AM by Cathy Torkos. Last update on 04/06/2009 by Cathy Torkos.