FARMINGTON — The Board of Education of the Davis School District unanimously approved a new procedure to determine how students will be allowed to transfer from their neighborhood secondary school to another secondary school, including sixth-graders advancing to the seventh grade.
According to the new amended policy, those wishing such a transfer must fill out a Boundary Variance form and drop it off at the requested school by Feb. 4.
Boundary Variance forms are available in all secondary school offices.
Students who currently attend a school on a boundary variance will be allowed to remain at the variance school until they complete the highest grade level offered at that school. At that point, if the student still wants to transfer from his or her neighborhood school, a Boundary Variance form must be submitted.
After the forms are received, the district will hold a random drawing to determine which students will be granted a transfer. Students who are granted transfers will be contacted by the school they will transfer to.
There are generally many more requests for transfers in the district's secondary schools than slots available. Because of that factor, the district has chosen to randomly select the students who are in the boundary variance pool.
If a variance is granted, transportation becomes the responsibility of the parents or guardians. Any student whose parent or legal guardian resides in the district may attend a district school other than his or her school of residence, subject to the application process and the prospective student's willingness to comply with district and school rules.
A one-time, non-refundable processing fee of $5 will also be charged at the time of the request.
Standards for acceptance of a boundary variance request shall not include:
Previous academic achievement
Athletic or other extracurricular activity
The fact that the student requires special education services for which space is available
Proficiency in the English language
Previous disciplinary proceedings, except a principal may consider previous disciplinary proceeding regarding habitual misconduct by a student resulting in suspension from school; or conduct that resulted in expulsion from school.
The principal may accept approved boundary variances requests up to 1.5 percent beyond the full-time equivalent student population as determined by the Nov. 15 count issued by the district's planning department.
As noted previously, a student with a boundary variance shall be permitted to remain in the school until the student has completed the highest grade in the school, unless revoked by the school principal, the director of admissions or the district case management team for inappropriate behavior.
Students who desire to attend a school other than their school of residence when moving from one school level to the next (i.e. elementary, junior high, high school) must apply as outlined in this policy.
Upon receiving a request form, the principal or designee shall assign the form a number to be used should the random selection process be needed at that particular school.
If the number of requests does not exceed the 1.5 variance limit, the principal or designee may review the requests and notify the student's parent or legal guardian of acceptance or rejection of the request as soon as reasonably possible after the application period.
If the number of requests exceeds the 1.5 percent variance limit, students shall be selected on a random basis except that the school may exclude requests that would exceed the capacity of a particular program, class, or grade level; and the school may give preference to siblings of students presently enrolled in the school.
The random selection process shall be conducted on Feb. 10, or the first school day thereafter, in accordance with district guidelines.
In an effort to accommodate additional requests beyond the 1.5 percent variance limits, while maintaining a desirable enrollment balance between secondary schools, on or about Feb. 15, cross-level exchanges will be carried out under the direction of secondary school directors in accordance with district guidelines.
Written notification to the student's parent or legal guardian of acceptance or rejection of a boundary variance request, whether or not the random selection process is required, shall be mailed no later than March 31.
As for elementary school transfers, the variance policy has been changed slightly. Now, requests will be accepted beginning the first school day in May, rather than March 1. There is no deadline for elementary boundary variance requests.
To see the complete policy, go online to: webdesign.davis.k12.ut.us/storytwo.html