3141 - Nonresident Students

BOARD POLICY No. 3141

NONRESIDENT STUDENTS 

Consistent with Chapter 28A.225 RCW, any student who resides outside the district may apply to attend a school in the district or file the parental declaration of the intent to provide home-based instruction and enroll for ancillary services, if any. All applications for nonresident attendance or home-based instruction will be considered on an equal basis. The district annually will inform parents of the interdistrict enrollment options and parental involvement opportunities. Information on interdistrict acceptance policies will be provided to nonresidents on request. Providing online access to the information satisfies the requirements of this policy unless a parent or guardian specifically requests information to be provided in written form. The district will not charge any transfer fees or tuition costs for enrolling eligible nonresident students who reside in Washington State.

A parent or guardian will apply for admission on behalf of his or her child by completing the appropriate district application. The superintendent shall develop an application form which contains information including, but not limited to, the current permanent residence of the child and the school district in which he or she is currently enrolled or receiving home-based instruction, the basis for requesting release from the resident district and the specific building and grade level (elementary) or course offerings (secondary) in which the student desires to be enrolled if accepted by the district.
A student who resides in a district that does not operate a secondary program will be permitted to enroll in secondary schools in this district in accordance with state law and regulation relating to the financial responsibility of the resident district.

Standards for accepting or rejecting an application

The superintendent will accept or reject an application for nonresident admission based upon the following standards:

1. 1. Whether acceptance of a nonresident student would result in the district experiencing significant financial hardship (“financial hardship” does not include routine programmatic costs associated with serving additional disabled or non-disabled students);
   2. Whether the grade level or class at the building in which the student desires to be enrolled has the capacity for additional students;
   3. Whether appropriate educational programs or services are available to improve the student’s condition as stated in requesting release from his or her district of residence;
   4. Whether the student’s disciplinary records or other documentation indicate a history of violent or disruptive behavior or gang membership (a gang means a group of three or more persons with identifiable leadership that on an ongoing basis regularly conspires and acts in concert mainly for criminal purposes);
   5. Whether the student has been expelled or suspended from a public school for more than ten consecutive days, in which case the student may apply for admission under the district’s policy for readmission and reengagement of suspended or expelled students; and
   6. Whether enrollment of a nonresident student would conflict with a district innovation academy cooperative under RCW 28A.340.080.

Admission or denial: Notice of decision and appeal of decision

The superintendent in a timely manner will provide all applicants with written notification of the approval or denial of a nonresident student’s enrollment application. If the student is to be admitted, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee will notify the resident district and make necessary arrangements for the transfer of student records.
If the application is denied, the superintendent will notify the parent or guardian of the reason(s) for denial and the right to petition the board of directors, upon five school business days prior notice, for review of the decision and to have a hearing before the board at its next regular meeting. Following the hearing by the board, a final decision shall be promptly communicated to the parent in writing.
The final decision of the district to deny the admission of a nonresident student may be appealed to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction or his/her designee pursuant to the process detailed in RCW
28A.225.230.

Children of full-time employees

1. 1. Pursuant to RCW 28A.225.225, a nonresident student who is the child of a full-time certificated or classified employee will be permitted to enroll:
      1. At the school to which the employee is assigned;
      2. At a school forming the district’s kindergarten through twelfth grade continuum which includes the school to which the employee is assigned; or
      3. At a school in the district that provides early intervention services pursuant to RCW28A.155.065 and/or preschool services pursuant to RCW 28A.155.070, if the student is eligible for such services.
   2. The district may reject the application of a student who is the child of a full-time employee if:
      1. Disciplinary records or other evidence supports a conclusion that the student has a history of convictions, violent or disruptive behavior or gang membership; or
      2. The student has been expelled or suspended from a public school for more than ten consecutive days (however, the district’s policies for allowing readmission of expelled or suspended students and the required reengagement procedures under this rule must apply uniformly to both resident and nonresident applicants seeking admission, pursuant to RCW28A.225.225(2)(b)); or
      3. Enrollment of the nonresident child would displace a child who is a resident of the district.
   3. If a nonresident student is the child of a full-time employee and has been enrolled under Section 1 above, the student must be permitted to remain enrolled at the same school or in the district’s kindergarten through twelfth grade continuum until:
      1. The student completes their schooling; or
      2. The student has repeatedly failed to comply with requirements for participation in an online school program, such as participating in weekly direct contact with the teacher or monthly progress evaluations.

Adopted by the Board: July 16, 2002

Revised: May 16, 2017