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3130 - School Attendance Areas – Establishment and Revision

A. Intent of the Regulation

Commitment to the District’s mission requires thoughtful attention to stabilizing and balancing attendance area boundaries, along with other factors that affect the learning climate. To help ensure a high quality learning environment in all schools, the District shall regularly review the geographic attendance areas designated for each school in the District. As school enrollment shifts within the District, changes in attendance areas or transfer of students may become necessary. 

B. Factors to be Considered when Creating New Attendance Area Boundaries

In balancing school populations competing interests may force difficult choices; however, as options are developed due consideration shall be given to: 

  1. District knowledge of enrollment and school capacity,
  2. Budget requirements,
  3. Construction and growth projections,
  4. Adjusting class loads to available space,
  5. The disruption to students’ established learning programs,
  6. Keeping siblings in the same elementary school,
  7. Established neighborhood groupings,
  8. Existing relationships among feeder schools and middle/high schools,
  9. Minimizing the number of times a student must change school boundaries,
  10. Appropriate community participation,
  11. Input from school organizations such as site councils; and
  12. Coordination of transportation routes with attendance areas.

C. Conditions Requiring Attendance Area Revisions

The District has wide discretion in determining the need for attendance area adjustments. Conditions requiring a change may include, but are not limited to, construction of a new school; an imbalance between enrollment and space available among schools; and other conditions created by District-initiated actions, such as creation of alternative educational options.

D. Process for Attendance Area Revisions

The District intends that the process to enact any attendance area revision will remain flexible enough to match the situation and the magnitude of the required change. Central to any change will be the District’s responsibility to provide data regarding the need for changes. Whatever specific process is used, affected community members will have an opportunity for study and input before attendance area changes are finalized.

Prior to the implementation of any planned transfer of students, parents of students involved in such planned transfer shall be invited to a meeting at which the planned change shall be explained and discussed. An orientation to the new school shall be arranged for transferred students.

Adopted:

7/8/2011

Last Revised:

7/8/2011

Cross References:

Regulation:

  • RCW 28A.320.040 Bylaws for board and school government