FILE: JBCD
Cf: JBCC
STUDENT TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL
TRANSFER
Students shall be required to attend the school in the attendance area in which their residence is located. Students who wish to attend a school other than the one designated for their resident attendance zone may apply for transfer when circumstances warrant. All requests for transfer shall be in writing, and shall include reasons for the transfer as well as other pertinent information that the Catahoula Parish School Board may require.
The Superintendent shall consider for approval all requests for student transfer if such transfer is determined to be in the best interests of the student and the school system. No school shall accept a student not residing in that school's attendance zone unless the student has an approved transfer application on file. Applications which are approved are for one school year only and must be renewed by application for subsequent years. Any decision made by the Superintendent regarding the transfer of a student may be appealed to the School Board for a final determination in accordance with state law.
Procedures
Transfer Applications
Any student seeking a transfer for any reason from the school in the zone of his/her residence to a school out of his/her residence must complete and submit a transfer request form together with such documentation as may be required for such type of transfer. Incomplete applications shall not be considered.
Transfer Application Period
All transfer requests (including M-to-M) for the upcoming school year must be submitted during the period of June 1 through June 23 to the Superintendent or his/her designee at the Catahoula Parish School Board Office. Transfer requests submitted outside the June 1 - June 23 period may be approved only if such requests are based upon one of the court approved circumstances for transfer and the facts or circumstances forming the basis of such transfer requests did not arise or were not known to the applicant prior to June 23, as evidenced by supporting documentation.
Length of Transfer Approval
All transfers shall be valid only for the school year for which the transfer is approved. A student who desires to continue attendance in a receiving school must comply with the transfer request requirements and approval process each and every year that a transfer is desired. The only exception to this re-application/re-approval requirement is for M-to-M transfers, which shall be automatically renewed each year that the student attends the same school but which shall cease to be effective when the student graduates to a new school (for example, elementary to middle school or middle school to high school) or opts to return to the school in his/her home attendance area.
Transfer Approval Process
All transfer requests must be submitted to, reviewed by, and acted on by the Student Transfer Committee. The Student Transfer Committee shall consist of the Superintendent, the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, and one designee appointed by the Superintendent. The Student Transfer Committee shall promptly provide written notices of both approvals and denials of transfer requests to the person(s) making the requests. All decisions of the Student Transfer Committee shall be final and without the availability of appeal to the School Board.
Majority to Minority Transfers
Any black or white student who is attending a school in which his/her race is in the majority may chose to attend another school in the district where his/her race is in the minority. This M-to-M policy applies only to black and white students. Students of other races shall not be considered as candidates for M-to-M transfers but may be considered for any other type of transfer for which they may qualify. The Student Transfer Committee shall utilize each school's end of the school year student enrollment data broken down by race to determine which schools qualify for M-to-M transfers for the next school year. If approving all qualified M-to-M transfer requests would move any receiving school beyond its functional student capacity, the Student Transfer Committee shall utilize a lottery system to determine the specific students for whom such transfers may be approved for that year.
WITHDRAWAL
Students shall be required to attend school in accordance with statutory provisions. Students may be permitted to withdraw from school however, if approved by the Superintendent and Board. Such withdrawal must be in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the School Board.
Revised: December, 2008
Approved: January 6, 2009
Revised: November 3, 2009
Revised: September 7, 2010
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:81, 17:104.1, 17:105, 17:106, 17:108, 17:109, 17:111, 17:221, 17:226, 17:227
Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 1-6-09, 5-5-09, 11-3-09, 9-7-10
Catahoula Parish School Board