FILE:  H-2.4a

 

PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

 

 

PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

 

The Central Community School Board is required by both Federal law and the Louisiana School Accountability Program to develop and maintain a Public School Choice policy for any school with a School Performance Score (SPS) below levels set by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).  School Choice allows eligible students to transfer to an academically acceptable school. Subgroup component refers to the testing performance within a specified subgroup of students.

 

Once schools eligible to receive students have been identified (those schools that are labeled academically acceptable), a school-site utilization study shall be conducted as needed in all schools to determine the extent to which capacity exists to possibly accommodate students from schools offering choice, including students with special needs and/or students with disabilities.

 

The Superintendent and staff shall be responsible for developing and managing a School Choice Plan, which shall determine the schools to which students may transfer, which students shall have priority in transferring, and all other regulations and procedures for supervising school choice within the school district.

 

Notification

 

Notification of parents of their school choice options shall be sent as early as possible, but not later than the first day of the school year for the schools that are required to offer choice.  If there are no choice options available, this information shall be included in the notification sent parents.

 

Eligibility of Students

 

All students in a school required to offer choice shall be eligible to transfer.  However, the School Board shall give priority to the lowest achieving students from low-income families, as determined by the School Board.

 

LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

 

  1. General

 

    1. In accordance with La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1, Louisiana Public School Choice provides for the right of a parent or legal guardians to enroll his/her child in a school other than the school to which the child was scheduled to be enrolled, if the school at which the child was most recently enrolled received a School Performance Score of "D" or "F" in the most recent school year, and the school in which the child is seeking to be enrolled received a School Performance Score of "A", "B" or "C" in the most recent school year, pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system.  As La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1 provides for certain variable eligibility criterion, any enrollment based upon the Louisiana Public School Choice option shall be considered an annual enrollment and shall not obligate the School Board to allow for enrollment beyond one (1) school year.

    2. The School Board shall define “capacity” for each school, and determine a transfer request period which shall begin no later than March first and end no earlier than March twenty-eighth, annually.  Prior to the transfer request period, the School Board shall notify parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in schools that received a D or F school performance letter grade of the following:

 

      1. The provisions of the Louisiana Public School Choice policy;

      2. Schools under the jurisdiction of the School Board that received an A, B, or C school performance letter grade, if any;

      3. The process for submitting student transfer requests; and,

      4. The page on the Louisiana Department of Education’s website that contains school performance data.

 

  1. Single Point of Contact

 

    1. A parent or guardian wishing to exercise the public school choice option who resides and intends on continuing to reside during the upcoming school year inside or outside of the Central Community School District shall contact the School Board’s Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.  This shall be the only office authorized to process an application to enroll under La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1.

    2. A birth certificate, identification and/or proof of guardianship shall be provided at the time of application.

    3. An application for enrollment shall serve as consent for the School Board to obtain the records and information necessary to determine the eligibility/ineligibility of the student.

    4. Applications shall be time/date stamped to establish timeliness of filing.

 

  1. Verification of Initial Eligibility

 

    1. Documentation of the prior school enrollment of the student shall be provided; such as report card or official correspondence.

    2. The School Board shall verify that the school in which the student was most recently enrolled or would have otherwise attended, received school performance letter grade of a "D" or "F".

    3. The parent or guardian shall identify the school for which the student seeks enrollment, and the School Board shall verify that such school received a letter grade of "A'', "B'', or "C" for the most recent school year.

    4. Eligibility shall be determined on an annual basis.

 

  1. Verification of Capacity

 

    1. The primary obligation of the School Board shall be to provide for the enrollment of students who reside within the Central Community School District.  Therefore, the School Board shall not enroll students wishing to transfer under this policy to the extent that such enrollment may conflict with this primary obligation.

    2. Upon receipt of a Louisiana Public School Choice application for enrollment, the School Board shall verify whether the school for which the student seeks enrollment has sufficient capacity.

    3. The capacity verification shall take into account grade level and special program requirement, such as gifted and talented or special needs and shall be made on a school-by-school basis after the official student count on October 1 of each school year.

    4. For purposes of determining capacity, as determined by School Board staffing policy, and school which has an anticipated enrollment of greater than 80% of its optimal total student capacity, in the grade in which the student seeks to enroll, shall be deemed to have insufficient capacity to allow for a Louisiana Public School Choice enrollment.  Any school that has portables or modular buildings shall be considered at capacity.

    5. Upon such a determination, the parent shall be advised that the school for which enrollment is sought has insufficient capacity.

    6. The verification of capacity shall be an annual determination for the re-enrollment of students for each subsequent year.

 

  1. Excess Applications

 

    1. In the event the number of applications for enrollment exceeds the capacity in any particular school, students enrolled in the school for the prior year shall have preference.

    2. If, after enrolling all prior year students, applicants exceed the remaining capacity, applicants shall be selected in order of timeliness of application until capacity is no longer available.

 

  1. Athletic Eligibility

    Principals and athletic directors shall be responsible for contacting the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) to determine the eligibility of the student for participation in varsity sports.  In order to participate in varsity sports sanctioned by the LHSAA, students shall have written approval of the LHSAA.

 

  1. Transportation

    Parents and guardians of students who do not reside within the Central Community School District shall be responsible for the transportation of students to and from the school where the student is enrolled.

 

  1. Ineligibility

 

    1. A student meeting any of the following shall be ineligible to enroll as a student under the provisions of this policy:

 

      1. The student was expelled for disciplinary reasons in the current or preceding school year;

      2. The student was suspended more than once in the current or preceding school year;

      3. The student was involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on school grounds or at a school sponsored event in the preceding school year;

      4. The student was found in possession of any illicit drug or narcotic on school grounds in the current or preceding school year;

      5. The student had more than ten (10) unexcused absences during the current or preceding school year.

 

    1. After enrollment, a student shall be ineligible to continue enrollment as a student under the provisions of Louisiana Public School Choice if any of the following apply:

 

      1. The student is suspended more than once during the school year;

      2. The student is expelled for disciplinary reasons during the school year;

      3. The student is involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on school grounds during the school year;

      4. The student is found in possession of any illicit drug or narcotic on school grounds during the school year;

      5. The student has more than ten (10) unexcused absences during the school year.

 

Revised:  November 8, 2021

Revised:  May 9, 2022

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:105, 17:4035.1

Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System, Bulletin 111, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 10-27-14, 11-8-21, 5-9-22

 

Central Community School Board