FILE: JBCC
STUDENT ASSIGNMENT
ATTENDANCE ZONE REQUIREMENTS
The Catahoula Parish School Board shall have authority and responsibility for the assignment, placement, transfer, and continued education of all students attending schools within its jurisdiction. The School Board shall require a student to attend the appropriate school as determined by the domicile of the parent, legal guardian, or if he/she is eighteen (18) years old or has been emancipated by a court order, by the student's own domicile. However, the School Board reserves the authority to assign a student living in one school district to attend school in another district, if circumstances warrant. The parent or legal guardian of a student may file in writing to the School Board an objection to the assignment of the student, in which case the School Board shall review the assignment and investigate the circumstances in order to render a decision.
The School Board, by statute, shall be required to assign a student to attend any public school requested by a parent or legal guardian or custodian when the requested school has space available and is of suitable grade level, and the child resides not more than one (1) mile from such school. Such assignment shall be made if not specifically contrary to the provisions of law, rule, regulation, or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Assignment shall also be made without regard to parish boundaries.
Each student shall have only one (1) residence, which shall be determined to be the place where he/she predominantly sleeps, takes meals, maintains personal belongings, and otherwise resides with his/her parent or legal guardian/custodian. The student’s residence shall be established by the residency documentation verified as provided by School Board policy JBC, School Admission, and as outlined below.
When a court order grants legal custody of a student, the student’s residence shall be the residence of the parent who was awarded primary/domiciliary custody. If joint legal custody has been granted, the parents/legal guardians may choose the parent/legal guardian whose residence will be used for assignment purposes; however; once chosen, that residence shall continue to be utilized for assignment purposes unless a transfer is approved.
When a student is eighteen (18) years or older or has been emancipated by court order, the student’s residence shall be his/her own place of residence.
Legal custody is defined as the legal status created by a court order which establishes in a custodian the right to have physical custody of the child or minor. The school principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for monitoring the school enrollment list and shall immediately terminate and/or transfer an unauthorized student.
Any child temporarily residing within the district who has no permanent address, or who has been abandoned by his/her parent, or who is in foster care, shall be enrolled and allowed to attend school in the zone appropriate to the special circumstance of the child. Surrogate parents may be appointed when appropriate for special needs students.
VERIFICATION OF DOMICILE
The School Board shall require verification of domicile of those students whose residence is suspected to be outside the attendance zone of the school the student is attending. When investigating the domicile of a student, the School Board shall attempt to verify the primary place of residence of the legal parent or legal or provisional guardian. Such verification of domicile shall be based on such items as the following:
Voter registration card of parent or custodian, or
Property tax statement of parent or custodian showing homestead exemption, or
Certified copy of any judicially ordered tutorship, custody or guardianship of any minor child student not domiciled or in the custody of their natural and/or legal parents. Verification of the physical residency of the legal custodian, tutor/tutrix or nonparent shall also be required, or
Any other documentation as may be stipulated by the School Board.
A home visit by the Child Welfare and Attendance Coordinator, as necessary.
ASSIGNMENT OF STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONALITIES
Unless the Individualized Education Program (IEP) of a student with an exceptionality, except a gifted and talented student, requires some other arrangement, the School Board shall require the student with such an exceptionality to be educated in the school that the student would attend if he/she did not have an exceptionality. However, if the educational needs of the student cannot be achieved satisfactorily in a regular class setting, the student may be placed in an educational environment designed to meet the appropriate needs of the student, as determined by the IEP committee.
However, a student with an exceptionality, except a gifted and talented student, shall be assigned to a school as requested by the parent, in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:1944, if all the following conditions are met:
The parent submits a written request to the School Board responsible for the student and the respective School Board having jurisdiction over the school being requested, by not later than April first of the school year preceding the school year for which the parent is requesting the school assignment. The request shall include a recommendation from at least two (2) licensed physicians who have treated the student during the year prior to the submission of the request.
The School Board responsible for the student and the respective School Board having jurisdiction over the school being requested by the parent enter into an agreement for the assignment of the student to the requested school.
The requested school is located at least ten (10) miles from the school to which the student is assigned, in accordance with applicable school attendance zone requirements.
The requested school is located at least fifteen (15) miles from the student’s home.
The requested school is not located in a public school district in which fifty percent (50%) or more of the public schools in the district are charter schools and fifty percent (50%) or more of the public schools in the district participate in a single application and enrollment process for public school enrollment.
SCHOOL TRANSFERS
Student Transfers Before September 3, 2020
In light of the final dismissal of the desegregation case on September 3, 2020, the School Board can no longer consider race in the assignment of students or otherwise in the School District operations. Therefore, after September 3, 2020, no student transfer based on race (i.e., majority to minority) shall be granted. The following shall be applied for students granted majority-to-minority and other types of transfers prior to September 3, 2020.
Any student granted a transfer of any kind prior to September 3, 2020 shall have the right to remain at the school to which he/she transferred until completion of the highest grade at that school and at the accompanying feeder school, if applicable. Alternatively, the student can return to his/her home-based school at the end of any semester.
If a student opts to remain at the school to which he/she transferred prior to September 3, 2020, he/she shall be required to provide his/her own transportation to that school. Transportation by the School Board of a student to his/her home-based school will be provided if requested.
In the event a student granted a transfer of any kind prior to September 3, 2020 desires to return to his/her residential attendance zone school, the parent/legal guardian shall provide written notice of that fact to the Superintendent at least two (2) weeks prior to the start of the next academic semester. Any student who returns to his/her home-based school may not return to the school from which he/she transferred or to any other school without going through the transfer application process applicable to all students seeking transfers.
Student Transfers After September 3, 2020
A student who desires to attend a school outside of his/her zone of residency may apply for a transfer to another grade-appropriate school in another zone, which transfer may be granted only with the following conditions:
The student must submit an application for a transfer prior to the school year for which the transfer is sought. The deadline for transfer applications is June 30th of each year.
Capacity must be available within the grade-level at the receiving school after accepting all students living in that school’s attendance zone. If more applications are received than capacity allows in a grade-level, a lottery system overseen by the Superintendent and/or a designee will be used to determine who gets the transfers.
If capacity is available, students of employees shall receive first consideration for student transfers to the schools where their parents are employed or to the schools nearest their employment.
If capacity is available, siblings of existing students at the school will be given next consideration for transfers.
The student and/or his/her parent/legal guardian/custodian shall be responsible for transportation to and from the school to which the student transfers.
The transferred student shall continue to be enrolled in the grade-appropriate school in the attendance zone of the school to which transferred until the student completes the last grade at the receiving school or its feeder school (no transfer re-application necessary) or until a transfer back to the original zone of residency is approved. If a student transfers back to a home attendance zoned school, he/she must reapply for any future transfer out of his/her home attendance zone.
A student granted a transfer remains subject to the athletic eligibility and other rules and regulations of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
The transfer must not violate but must be in compliance with any placement or other requirement of a student’s Individualized Education Plan or Section 504 plan or McKinney-Vento assignment determination.
The Superintendent shall have the right to approve or to order student transfers when he/she finds it to be in the best interest of the student or School District to do so.
CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENT
Student assignments in K through 8 will be made by the principal of the school. The placement of a student shall be based on grades, achievement test scores, and participation in special programs and made in accordance with the Catahoula Parish Pupil Progression Plan.
High School
Selection of courses of study in grades 9 through 12 shall be made by individual students. Assistance in planning course of study and selection of classes shall be provided by teachers, counselors, and administrators. Each student shall be furnished a schedule of classes offered and requirements for graduation. Some classes may have prerequisites for enrollment.
Multiple Siblings
In grades kindergarten through second grade, the parent of twins, triplets, etc. (more than one child at a single birth event) may request that their children be placed initially in the same, or separate, classrooms, if the children are in the same grade at the same school. Such a request shall be presented to the Superintendent or his/her designee no later than fourteen (14) days either after the first day of the school year or after the first day of attendance if the child enrolls after the fourteenth day of the school year. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or School Board policy to the contrary, the request of the parent for initial placement shall be granted subject to further review.
As soon as possible after the end of the student’s first grading period, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall review the initial placement of the child. If the Superintendent or his/her designee, in consultation with the school principal, the child’s(ren’s) teacher(s), and the parent, determines that the initial placement of the children is disruptive to the school or is not in the best educational interests of the child(ren), the initial placement of the child shall be modified, and the child(ren) shall be placed in accordance with School Board policy otherwise applicable to the child(ren).
Teachers with Felony Convictions
At the request of a student’s parent or legal guardian, a student shall be removed from the class of any teacher who has a felony conviction and placed in another class.
| Revised: October 7, 2008 | Revised: June 1, 2017 |
| Revised: January 5, 2010 | Revised: March 5, 2019 |
| Revised: December 7, 2010 | Revised: April 26, 2021 |
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§9:951, 9:952, 9:953, 9:954, 17:15, 17:81, 17:104.1, 17:221.2, 17:221.4, 17:221.5, 17:238, 17:1944
La. Civil Code, Art. 38, Art. 39, Art. 41, Art. 43, Art. 44
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 10-7-08, 1-5-10, 12-7-10, 6-1-17, 3-5-19, 4-26-21
Catahoula Parish School Board