FILE:  JBCE

 

PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

 

 

Public School Choice establishes a process for eligible students to transfer to a higher performing school within identified capacity limits.  Once schools eligible to receive students have been identified, a school- site utilization study shall be conducted as needed in all schools to determine the extent to which capacity exists to accommodate potential student applicants from schools offering choice, including students with disabilities.  Only those schools that meet the criteria defined by the School Choice Administrative Rule shall be considered eligible to receive students under school choice.

 

The Superintendent and staff shall be responsible for developing and managing a School Choice Administrative Rule, which shall determine the schools to which students may transfer, how transfer requests will be processed and prioritized, and other administrative procedures for the supervision of school choice within the school district in compliance with state law and policies of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).

 

The authority to enroll a student in the public school of choice shall not be permitted and shall not be exercised if doing so violates the order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS

 

Students enrolled in a school required to offer choice shall be eligible for transfer consideration.

 

LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE

 

The primary obligation of the Lafayette Parish School Board shall be to provide for the enrollment of students who reside within the geographic boundaries of the Lafayette Parish School Board.  Therefore, the School Board shall not enroll students wishing to transfer under this policy to the extent that such enrollment may conflict with this primary obligation.

 

The parent or legal guardian of any eligible student may seek to enroll his/her child in the public school of his/her choice, without regard to residence, school system geographic boundaries, or attendance zones, provided that:

 

  1. The public school in which the student was most recently enrolled, or would otherwise attend, received a school performance letter grade of D or F for the most recent school year, and

  2. The school to which the student seeks to enroll received a school performance letter grade of A, B, or C and meets the other criteria in the School Choice Administrative Rule for the most recent school year and has sufficient capacity at the appropriate grade level.

 

“Capacity” for each school shall be defined as 80% of the optimal total student capacity at the particular school and particular grade level at which the student seeks to enroll.  The School Board shall not be obligated to hire additional teachers or staff to grant enrollment requests under public school choice.

 

For purposes of determining capacity, as determined by School Board staffing guidelines, a school which has an anticipated enrollment of greater than 80% of its optimal total student capacity, in the grade in which the student seeks to enroll, shall be deemed to have insufficient capacity to allow for enrollment under public school choice.

 

The transfer request period shall begin on March 1 and end on March 28 annually.

 

Prior to the transfer request period, parents and legal guardians of students enrolled in schools that received a D or F school performance letter grade pursuant to the state's school and district accountability system for the most recent school year shall be notified of the following:

 

  1. The provisions of La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1, Louisiana Public School Choice law;

  2. The schools under the jurisdiction of the School Board that received an A, B, or C school performance letter grade, if any;

  3. The process for submitting student transfer requests; and,

  4. The page on the Louisiana Department of Education’s website that contains school performance data.

 

Parents shall be notified by press release, and web posting.

 

If there are no choice options available for a given school year, this information shall be included in the notification sent to parents.

 

If the School Board denies the enrollment request of a prospective student for an intra- district transfer, the parent or legal guardian of the student may request a review of the denial of the transfer requested by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

 

Transportation

 

Transportation shall not be provided to a student who enrolls in a public school that is located outside the geographic boundaries of the School Board in which the student resides, if providing such transportation will result in additional cost to the School Board.  Students participating in public school choice are eligible for transportation using the established satellite bus stops.

 

The Superintendent shall be authorized to develop relevant administrative procedures governing students seeking enrollment under the Louisiana Public School Choice section of this policy.  Such procedures may include entering into inter-district agreements with other city, parish, or local school boards to provide for the admission of students, and the transfer of school funds or other payments by one school board to another for, or on account of, any such authorized transfers.

 

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM OF CHOICE

 

For the purposes of this policy, a program of choice shall mean a public high school program that allows a student to concurrently pursue a high school diploma and one of the following:

 

  1. A postsecondary degree, credential, or certificate.

  2. A state-registered apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship.

 

A student may enroll in a program of choice offered within his/her school system, without regard to attendance zones, provided that both of the following apply:

 

  1. The program of choice and the high school offering the program have available capacity at the appropriate grade level.

  2. The program of choice is not offered at the public high school in which the student was most recently enrolled or would otherwise attend.

 

Capacity for each high school and each program of shall be determined as provided above under Louisiana Public School Choice, and the transfer request period shall be the same as for Louisiana Public School Choice.

 

The School Board shall determine and make available the process for submitting a transfer request, admission requirements, if any, for each program of choice, and the process for requesting review by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1 of a denial of a request to transfer to a program of choice.

 

The School Board shall partner with local businesses and public postsecondary education institutions to grow programs of choice that are relevant to the school's local area and to the state and that lead to careers in high-demand, high-paying fields, and work to ensure that programs of choice are evenly distributed, to the greatest extent possible, among the high schools in the school system.

 

The authority to enroll a student in a program of choice shall not be permitted and shall not be exercised if doing so violates an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

The provisions of this policy shall not be construed as requiring a high school or a program of choice with selective admission requirements to enroll a student who does not meet the admission requirements, regardless of whether the school or program of choice has available capacity.

 

Adopted:  March 1, 2015 Revised:  January 12, 2022
Revised:  May 10, 2017 Revised:  October 12, 2022

 

 

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:105, 17:4035.1, 17:4035.2

Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System, Bulletin 111, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 3-4-15, 5-10-17, 1-12-22, 10-12-22

 

Lafayette Parish School Board