FILE:  JBCC

Cf:  JBC, JBCBB, JBCD

STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

The Lafayette Parish School Board (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 generally require a student to attend the appropriate school as determined by the domicile of the parent or legal guardian, unless the School Board assigns the student to another school.

DOMICILE

Each student shall have only one residence (domicile) which is determined to be the place where he/she predominantly sleeps, takes meals, and maintains personal belongings.  To establish domicile in the Lafayette Parish School District, a parent or legal custodian must present sufficient information which supports both that the parent, legal custodian, or caregiver is actually domiciled within the Lafayette Parish School Board jurisdictional school boundaries and confirm that the child under his or her care, custody and/or control is actually domiciled with that parent or legal custodian on a daily basis.

When legal custody has been awarded by a court of law, the domicile shall be the principal residence of the parent/guardian awarded primary or domiciliary custody, or if the student is eighteen (18) years old or has been emancipated by a court order, by the student's own domicile, if not specifically contrary to the provisions of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction providing for the assignment of students.

PROOF OF DOMICILE

When examining the domicile of a student, the School Board through the principal shall verify yearly the domicile (primary place of residence) of the legal parent or guardian.

Proof of domicile shall be verified by submitting the previous two (2) months bills or service statements for a current gas, electric, or water bill with the name and address of the parent/legal guardian printed on the bill or a Verification of Service statement from the utility company.

For schools that are near or at capacity, the principal shall require a secondary proof of domicile by having the parent/guardian submit copy of the domiciliary’s homestead exemption.  The parent/legal guardian can contact the tax assessor’s office if a copy needs to be retrieved.  Parents who lease/rent will submit a copy of a signed lease or rental agreement.

For families who live at an address where the utilities are not in their name in order to prove domicile, the parent/legal guardian shall:

• Complete the Lafayette Parish School System Verification Residence Form

• Have it notarized

• Submit a current utility bill in the name of the individual who lives at that address

• Provide one of the following state or federal document(s): (WIC, food stamps, disability checks, tax documents, i.e., yearly state or federal tax returns that arrive addressed to the parent or legal guardian at that address.

Parents shall be required to present updated information prior to the start of each school year in order for his/her children to be enrolled for the next school year.

If the parent/legal guardian does not own the home, the secondary proof of domicile must be a different federal or state document other than the document that was used as the primary proof submitted with the Lafayette Parish School System Verification form.  (WIC, food stamps, disability checks, tax documents, i.e., yearly state or federal tax returns)

If a parent declares occupancy of a residence by more than one family (double-up), then the staff shall research all available information sources to determine if the parent still has a residence elsewhere.  If, in fact, they still have a residence elsewhere (outside of Lafayette Parish), then the student(s) shall be dropped from the schools’ rolls.

If none of these documents can be provided, the school principal shall give the parent/legal guardian or student(s) fifteen (15) school days to produce an acceptable document to prove residence.

LEGAL CUSTODY

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.  Proof of legal or domiciliary custody, or guardianship, or judicially ordered tutorship, shall be a certified copy of the decree of the court which issued the custody order, whether the order grants temporary or permanent custody.  Provisional custody by mandate shall not be accepted.  The school principal or his/her designee shall be responsible for monitoring the school enrollment list and shall immediately refer to the Director of Child Welfare and Attendance the determination of proper school assignment.

SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS

The School Board shall require a student to attend the appropriate school located in the attendance zone in which the student’s domicile is located.

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.  However, no decision of the School Board in response to an objection to the assignment of the student shall conflict with the student assignment provisions of any court-ordered judgment.

Any child temporarily residing within the school district who has no permanent address, 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.

If a student completes the first semester at a school, they may remain at that school for the remainder of the school year despite a residence change.  In this case, bus transportation will not be provided for the student.

CHILDREN OF EMPLOYEES OF LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD

An employee of the Lafayette Parish School Board who resides within Lafayette Parish, may be granted permission to enroll his or her child, ages 5-16, in the appropriate school nearest the employee’s work site or child care site, provided space is available.  Employees who desire to exercise the assignment option shall follow the necessary procedures for transferring their child.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

The School Board shall require that disabled students be assigned to programs within attendance zones, if possible.  However, if an appropriate program is unavailable within a student's attendance zone, the student may be placed in a school specifically designed to provide for the appropriate needs of the student as stipulated by the IEP committee.

GRADE ASSIGNMENT

Student assignments in K through 8 will be made by the principal of the school with teacher input.  The placement of a student shall be based on grades, achievement test scores, and participation in special programs and be made in accordance with the Pupil Progression Plan for Lafayette Parish.

CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENT

Selection of courses of study in grades 9 through 12 shall be made by individual students.  Assistance in planning for a student’s course of study and selection of classes shall be provided by teachers, counselors, parents, and administrators.  Each student shall be furnished a schedule of classes offered and requirements for graduation.  Some classes may have prerequisites for enrollment.

PARENTAL REQUEST

In grades kindergarten through second grade, the parent of twins or any number of children born 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 child(ren) 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).

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§9:951, 9:952, 9:953, 9:954, 17:81, 17:104.1, 17:221.2, 17:221.4, 17:221.5, 17:1944

Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators, Bulletin 741, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 11-3-71, 10-1-80, 7-18-90, 3-4-15, 2-15-17, 10-18-17, 6-7-23

Lafayette Parish School Board