Can you transfer school districts

IDEA is a federal law binding in all states…. Share this page:. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Can you change school districts without moving? Ben Davis May 31, Can you change school districts without moving? Can my child stay in the same school if we move? Families should begin the transfer process the winter or spring prior to the year in which you want to enroll your child.

Districts generally require the submission of an application. If more students apply than there are spaces available, the district will hold a lottery to select which students will be admitted. If a district has fewer applicants than it has seats for school choice students, it may choose to accept students at any time during the school year. A sibling of a child currently attending school in another district under school choice will receive preference in the admissions lottery.

They are also held to many of the same testing standards that traditional public schools are held to and may not discriminate in the acceptance of students to their programs. Rhodes School for the Performing Arts is a charter school with four locations in the Houston metropolitan area.

Magnet schools are a part of the public school district in which you live. They accept students through an application or lottery process, though they may be limited to the students that are traditionally served by a local school district.

However, some magnet schools are able to accept students from a wider geographic area and serve as a good alternative for parents who are looking to get their child out of their zoned school. Each district is different so a parents must inquire with their local school. Like charter schools, magnet schools may not charge tuition to attend. They also may not discriminate in their enrollment policies and must be secular institutions. However, a distinction between magnet schools vs.

Magnet schools offer a great school of choice option for students looking to attend a school outside of their zone. Rhodes School for the Performing Arts is proud to have received the unusual designation of both charter and magnet, thanks to our unique performing arts program. Alternative schools are programs that offer nontraditional programs, like charter and magnet programs and they accept students from outside their zones.

They generally have a relatively small class size and may offer various curricula. Alternative schools generally encompass a wider variety of schools and may include programs for special education or students who have had behavioral issues at their home schools. The ALJ is only permitted to decide whether or not the school district:. In the final decision, the ALJ cannot consider a family or student's personal circumstances, no matter how compelling.

The law and regulations do not allow the ALJ to consider personal circumstances. For example, the ALJ cannot consider the family's transportation needs, childcare needs, unique activities or courses offered at the nonresident school, social or academic struggles of the student, financial struggles, or any other personal reasons. The hearings are typically conducted by telephone. Find a private place where you can discuss the specific student information in confidence. The ALJ cannot consider a family or student's personal circumstances in the final decision.

As noted in "Who Decides? Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and can take 4 - 6 weeks to resolve. A high volume of student transfer appeal cases are often filed just before a new school year begins.

During this time of high volume, it may take a few weeks for a case to be processed, heard, and a decision made. Parents should not wait to hear the outcome of an appeal before enrolling their child in a school. Siyu is a model student who loves his school and has made many friends there over the years. His parents requested a nonresident transfer so he could continue to attend his same school.

His parents filed an appeal. Finding: The District can only accept a student if there is space. Even though Siyu previously attended school in the River SD, the River SD is first required to meet the needs of students who live in the district. The ALJ denied the parents' request because the district followed all nonresident transfer laws and school district policies. Ian's guardian appealed the denial of his nonresident transfer request into the Blue School District. The Blue SD sent a letter to the guardian informing them of the denial.

The letter did not provide a reason for the denial or explain the guardian's right to appeal to OSPI. Finding: State regulation requires that a student be admitted when the school district does not comply with the standards and procedures set in law. Nara's family lives very close to the border of two neighboring school districts. Her parents want her to attend Landon High School, which is closer to their home. Her parents apply for a nonresident transfer but are denied by the Carter SD.

They are informed that the denial is based on lack of space in Nara's grade level at Landon HS. They are also informed of their right to appeal to OSPI.