JC-P1 - School Attendance Areas - School of Choice

A – RESIDENT PUPILS

School attendance areas in the Prairie Spirit School Division are established to assist with planning and administration. (See Policy ID) They are used as guidelines for channelling children through the school program.  While students are expected to attend their area, or designated school, parents wishing to enroll their child(ren) at a school other than the area or designated school, must submit the prescribed provincial form for Within Division Transfer to a School of Choice (JC-E1), to the Principal of the receiving school by May 15th.  The form is available from any school or from the Division Office.  The Superintendent’s department, in conjunction with the Principal of the receiving school, will review each request and approve or reject it.

Procedure

1. Information about the schools and school programs is available at the schools or at the Division Office.

2. Parents must complete the prescribed form (JC-E1), by May 15th, and submit it as indicated.

3. Senior Administration will consider transportation and other special requirements.  They will review the application and notify the sending School Principal accordingly.  If deemed necessary, a meeting will be set up with the parents.

4. If transportation and other requirements are met, the receiving school will be consulted and a meeting with the parents and the School Principal may be initiated to discuss program and school compatibility.

5. The Principal of the receiving school will then advise the Division Office of its recommendation.

6. The Principal of the receiving school will inform the parents and the sending school no later than June 30th whether or not the student has been accepted.

7. The student will be residing with his/her parent(s) or court appointed legal guardian(s) within the boundaries of the Prairie Spirit School Division.

Criteria governing admission

The Principal, in consultation with the Superintendent’s department, reserves the right to refuse an application for any of the following reasons:

1. Space is not available;

2. Special equipment or facilities required by the student are not available;

3. Enrolling the student would be detrimental to the continuity of his or her education;

4. The program is not suited to the age, ability, or aptitude of the student;

5. Enrolling the student would be detrimental to order, discipline, and the well-being of the students in the school; or,

6. Proper notification is not provided by the student or parent.

Transportation

Prairie Spirit School Division pupils who exercise school of choice within the Division may be eligible for transport by School Division buses if:

1. The pupil is eligible for transportation support under Provincial Regulation or Board policy, and there is space available on the bus, and

2. No change is required in the existing bus route.

Prairie Spirit School Division pupils who choose to attend school in another school division may request consideration for transportation services.  When such requests are approved, the existing routes will not be altered so as to transport the pupil outside the boundaries of the Prairie Spirit School Division, but where existing bus routing and timing permits, the pupil may be transported to a transfer point where a bus from the receiving division can be met, and the pupil can transfer safely without unreasonable delay for the other pupils.  Such arrangements shall be subject to the agreement of both school divisions on all associated matters, including space, availability, timing, convenience to other pupils, and financial support for the costs incurred.

Duration of approval

Upon approval, all transfers will remain in effect until a new request has been submitted and approved.  Transfers during the course of the school year will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

B - NON-RESIDENT PUPILS

Applications from students who reside in another school division will be considered for approval.

Procedure

1. Applications are available at the schools and at the Division Office. Parents/guardians must make application, in writing, using the prescribed provincial form (JC-E2), by May 15th.

2. Applications must be submitted to the Principal of the school of choice, for preliminary approval.  The criteria governing admission will be the same as for resident students, listed above.

3. The application shall then be forwarded to the Superintendent’s department, for review.

4. The Principal of the receiving school will notify the parents and the sending school no later than June 30th, whether or not the student has been accepted.

5. Applicants who miss the May 15th deadline may not be accepted, unless their home division agrees to pay the transfer fee.

Transportation

Non-resident pupils who exercise school of choice to attend a school in the Prairie Spirit School Division may be eligible for transportation on Prairie Spirit School Division buses, only if:

1. the pupil is eligible for transportation support under Provincial Regulation and/or transportation service under Board policy, and there is space available on the bus; and

2. the pupil’s school of choice in the Prairie Spirit School Division is closer than the pupil’s home school, or,

3. arrangements satisfactory to the Prairie Spirit School Division can be made for the pupil(s) to be picked up and dropped off at an agreed upon location or at a transfer point, if there is space on the bus and where said arrangement can be made safely without unreasonable delay for the other pupils on the bus.  Such arrangements shall be subject to the agreement of both school divisions on all associated matters, including space availability, timing, convenience to other pupils, and financial support for costs incurred, in the form of a fee charged to the parents as established from time to time.  Said pick up and drop off point may be outside the boundaries of the Prairie Spirit School Division, if the foregoing conditions are met.

Parents of pupils whose school of choice in the Prairie Spirit School Division is closer to their residence than their designated school in their home division, and who do not receive transportation on a Prairie Spirit School Division bus, may apply to the Prairie Spirit School Division for an allowance in lieu of transportation.  The Division may pay such an allowance, provided that the circumstances meet the requirements for a grant in lieu from the province, under Regulation.[PSA 41(5.1), 41(6), 58.3, 58.4, 58.5, 58.9, Manitoba Education Administrative Handbook, Topic S6]

Duration of approval

1. Once a non-resident application has been given final approval, it will remain in effect, only at the school to which the student has been admitted, until the student completes the highest grade level at the school into which he or she has been admitted.

2. The Division retains the right to rescind the approval at any time, should circumstances arise which restrict the Division’s ability to provide appropriately for the education of its own resident and catchment area students, or which result from unusual student population changes.

Withdrawal of acceptance

The Division reserves the right to withdraw its acceptance of non-resident students and to deregister such students.  The following circumstances will cause such action:

1. failure of the student to meet behavioural expectations, as outlined in the school’s Behaviour Plan, and/or the divisional Code of Conduct and Behavioural policy;

2. failure to disclose information, or falsification of information, required in the Division’s application.

C - Appeal process

If the application for admission of a student, resident or non-resident, is denied, the decision may be appealed in writing to the Board.  [PSA 41(5.1)] [PSA 58.1-58.4, 58.5, 58.9]  [M.R. 468/88 42(1), 42(2)]