FILE:  JBCD

Cf:  JBA, JBCC

STUDENT TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL

TRANSFER

Students shall be required to attend the school in the attendance area in which the legal residence of their legal guardian 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 Lincoln Parish School Board may require.

No student transfer shall be permitted other than those approved by the Transfer Committee in accordance with the following provisions.

Transfer Committee

The Superintendent shall appoint three (3) supervisory staff members to constitute the Transfer Committee which shall review each timely submitted student transfer request to determine if such transfer is in the best interest of the student and the school system.  The decisions of the Transfer Committee on student transfer requests shall be made in compliance with the provisions of this policy and shall be final and without appeal to the School Board.

Transfer Guidelines

1. Approved transfers shall be effective for one school year only and must be renewed by application for subsequent years.
   
   

2. Once a transfer is approved, the student must remain in the requested school for the entire school year unless otherwise approved by the School Board’s Child Welfare Attendance Officer. 
   
   

3. Transportation shall not be provided for students granted a transfer. 
   
   

4. Falsifying any information on a transfer request shall result in revocation of transfer approval.  Changes in circumstances which allowed the transfer may require the student to return to the school in their residential attendance zone.  
   
   

5. A student who is attending a school outside his/her residential attendance area without prior approval shall be immediately dropped and re-enrolled in the school in his/her residential attendance zone. 
   
   

6. The legal guardian and student who is approved for a transfer shall be required to sign a contract at the receiving school regarding attendance and discipline.  If the terms of that contract are broken by the parent or student, then the Superintendent/Child Welfare Attendance Officer shall have the right to take appropriate action, including, but not limited to, the return of the student to his/her school of residence.

Request Deadline

All transfer requests for the upcoming school year shall be accepted and considered during the period of May 1 through July 31 each year.  The Transfer Committee may approve transfer requests submitted after July 31 only if: (1) such requests are based upon one (1) of the reasons for transfer enumerated below; (2) the reason for the transfer did not arise or was not known to the applicant prior to the deadline, as evidenced by supporting documentation, and (3) the request otherwise complies with all other terms of this policy.

Reasons for Transfers

1. Specialized Academic, Vocational, Athletic, or Special Education Curriculum Not Offered in the School of Residence. 
   
   The Transfer Committee may grant any student who elects or requires a course of study or other specialized academic, vocational, athletic, or special education program and/or curriculum not offered at the school to which the student has been assigned a transfer to another school which offers such program and/or curriculum, subject to the following requirements.

1. 1. The student’s transfer application must include:

1. 1. 1. A verification signed by the principal of the sending school that the specific program and/or curriculum is not available at his/her school; and
         
         

      2. A verification signed by the principal of the receiving school that the specific program and/or curriculum is available at his/her school and that the student has qualified for such program and/or curriculum.

2. Health of the Student
   
   The Transfer Committee may grant a transfer to a student whose attendance at the student’s assigned school would place the student’s physical or mental health in jeopardy and where attendance at another school would better meet the student’s health needs, subject to the following requirements.

1. 1. The student’s application for such a transfer must include a statement of support signed by at least two (2) non-associated medical doctors or mental health providers, which must provide:

1. 1. 1. A certification of the student’s health condition;
         
         

      2. An explanation, in detail, of why attendance at the sending school places the student’s health in jeopardy and why attendance at the requested school is better for the student’s health condition.

1. 2. At least one (1) of the doctors providing the required supporting statements shall be the student’s treating physician.

3. Safety of the Student
   
   The Transfer Committee may grant a transfer to any student whose safety is in jeopardy if attendance continues at the sending school, subject to the following requirements.

1. 1. A student’s application for such a transfer shall include a statement signed by the student’s parent/guardian and/or the principal of the sending school which must provide:

1. 1. 1. An explanation of the potential harm to the student in that school;
         
         

      2. Any supporting documentation that may be available; and
         
         

      3. An explanation of how the transfer will address the student’s specific safety concerns.

4. Child of a Full-time Certificated Employee
   
   The Transfer Committee may grant a transfer to any student enrolled in grades K-12 who is the child of a full-time certificated employee, and who is verified as actually living with said employee, to attend a school of applicable grade level within the attendance zone of the school where the parent/guardian works, subject to the following requirements.  A student’s application for such a transfer must include verification from the School District’s personnel office of the parent’s/guardian’s employment status with the School Board, job title, and school assignment for the next school year.
   
   

5. Exceptional Hardship
   
   The Transfer Committee may grant a transfer for an exceptional hardship arising from a situation that does not fall within any of the student transfer provisions listed above but which warrants the transfer of that student to another school in the School District (including, but not limited to, a natural disaster, incarceration of the custodial parent/guardian, severe illness of a parent/guardian, domestic abuse in the student’s home, neglect or other child welfare needs), subject to the following requirements.

1. 1. The student’s parent/guardian and/or appropriate child welfare official may apply for an exceptional hardship transfer, which application must provide:

1. 1. 1. A signed, dated, and notarized statement providing:

1. 1. 1. 1. a detailed explanation of the exceptional hardship;
            
            

         2. why the hardship requires a transfer from the sending school;
            
            

         3. why the receiving school can best accommodate the exceptional hardship; and
            
            

         4. supporting documentation, if any is reasonably available to the applicant.

1. 1. 2. Child care needs shall not qualify as an exceptional hardship under this provision.

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 School Board.  Such withdrawal must be in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the School Board.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 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, 10-02-01, 3-3-09, 6-8-10, 10-5-10, 8-7-12, 4-4-17

Lincoln Parish School Board