FILE:  H-2.3a

Cf:  H-2.3, H-2.4

STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

The City of Baker School Board shall have the authority and responsibility for the assignment, placement, transfer, and continued education of all students attending schools within its jurisdiction.  A child shall be domiciled within the City of Baker school district in order to attend a City of Baker school.  In order to enroll a child, legal custody is required, with a limited exception for students with special needs as provided by Louisiana law.  Students in City of Baker schools shall attend school in the attendance zone in which they actually are domiciled.

DEFINITION OF DOMICILE

Each student shall have only one domicile, which is determined to be the place where the student predominantly sleeps, takes meals, and maintains personal belongings, or is the place set forth in a custody order.

DEFINITION OF LEGAL CUSTODY

Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, legal custody shall be defined as the legal status created by a court order that establishes in a custodian the right to have physical custody of the child.

CHILDREN DOMICILED INSIDE THE CITY OF BAKER SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT, DOMICILIARY REQUIREMENTS

To establish domicile in the City of Baker School Board district, a parent or legal custodian must present sufficient documentation that supports both that the parent, legal custodian, or caregiver is actually domiciled within the City of Baker School district and confirms that the child under his or her care, custody, or control is actually domiciled with that parent or legal custodian.

CHILDREN WITH NO PERMANENT ADDRESS

Any child temporarily residing within the district who has no permanent address, or who has been abandoned by his or her parents, 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.

CHILDREN DOMICILED OUTSIDE THE CITY OF BAKER SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT

No student who is domiciled outside the City of Baker School Board district shall be eligible to be for enrollment or readmittance in a Baker school.

CHILDREN OF EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BAKER SCHOOL BOARD

If in the opinion of the principal, the child of an employee of the City of Baker School Board can enroll without creating an undue hardship in respect to overcrowding, or materially affect the racial balance at the school, that child may attend school in the City of Baker School district unless specifically prohibited by any existing or future final court order.

ATTENDANCE OUT OF ZONE

Attendance out of zone is allowed whenever a mental or physical impairment, medical condition, or other exceptional condition requires services that are unavailable at the school in the child's assigned attendance zone, provided that a student requesting transfer for medical reasons and taking elective courses not offered at the student's assigned school satisfies the following criteria:

1.  Transfers requested for medical reasons must be verified by a physician's statement;
   
   

2. The parent or legal guardian must provide transportation;
   
   

3. The transfer must not create an overcrowded condition.

VERIFICATION OF DOMICILE

The principal shall be responsible for monitoring school enrollment and shall have the authority to remove or transfer any student attending school out of district or out of zone.  When investigating the domicile of a student, the School Board, through the principal or the Child Welfare and Attendance Officer, shall attempt to verify the domicile of the legal parent, legal guardian, or caregiver by requiring the following documentation:

1. Utility bills;
   
   

2. A certified copy of any judicially ordered tutorship, custody, or guardianship of any minor child not domiciled in the City of Baker School district.  Verification of the domicile of the legal custodian, tutor or tutrix, or non-parent shall also be required; or
   
   

3. Other documentation stipulated by the School Board, the principal, or the Child Welfare and Attendance Officer.

AUTHORITY OF AND INVESTIGATIONS BY THE CHILD WELFARE AND ATTENDANCE OFFICER

When a non-parent does not have legal custody but is merely a caregiver, that person may petition the Child Welfare and Attendance Officer to declare an exceptional circumstance in order to allow enrollment.  By making such an application, the applicant agrees to provide any information requested by the Child Welfare and Attendance Officer.

The Child Welfare and Attendance Officer shall be responsible for reviewing all applications filed and shall thereafter conduct an investigation.  The investigation shall include a physical inspection of the domicile of the child, including, but not limited to, any residence of the caregiver and of the natural parents.

After the investigation, the Child Welfare and Attendance Officer shall prepare a report of all observations and findings and shall include a recommendation whether the application for enrollment should be accepted or declined; if recommending acceptance, the recommendation shall list reasons in support, including any reason(s) why legal custody has not been obtained by the caregiver with whom the child is domiciled.

Upon receipt of the recommendation and supporting documentation, the Superintendent or a designee shall make a decision whether to accept or reject the student's application for enrollment based upon all relevant facts pertaining to the minor child's domicile within the City of Baker School Board district.  If the Superintendence upholds a decision of the Child Welfare Officer denying enrollment, the caregiver may petition the School Board to review the case.

GRADE ASSIGNMENT

Student assignments in Kindergarten through 8th Grade will be made by the principal along with teacher input.  The placement of a student shall be based on grades, achievement test scores, and participation in special programs and will be made in accordance with the Pupil Progression Plan.  The parent or legal guardian of a student may file an objection to the grade assignment by addressing the School Board in writing.  In that case, the School Board shall review the assignment and investigate the circumstances in order to render a decision.

CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENT

High School

Selection of courses of study in grades 9 through 12 shall be made by individual students.  Assistance in planning 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.

Multiple Siblings

In grades kindergarten through second grade, the parent of twins, triplets, etc. (more than one child 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 children 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).

Teachers with Felony Convictions

At the request of a student’s parent or legal guardian, a student shall be removed from the class of any teacher who has a felony conviction and placed in another class.

ASSIGNMENT OF STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONALITIES

Unless the Individualized Education Program (IEP) of a student with an exceptionality, except a gifted and talented student, requires some other arrangement, the School Board shall require the student with such an exceptionality to be educated in the school that the student would attend if he/she did not have an exceptionality.  However, if the educational needs of the student cannot be achieved satisfactorily in a regular class setting, the student may be placed in an educational environment designed to meet the appropriate needs of the student, as determined by the IEP committee.

However, a student with an exceptionality, except a gifted and talented student, shall be assigned to a school as requested by the parent, in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:1944, if all the following conditions are met:

1. The parent submits a written request to the School Board responsible for the student and the respective School Board having jurisdiction over the school being requested, by not later than April first of the school year preceding the school year for which the parent is requesting the school assignment.  The request shall include a recommendation from at least two (2) licensed physicians who have treated the student during the year prior to the submission of the request.
   
   

2. The School Board responsible for the student and the respective School Board having jurisdiction over the school being requested by the parent enter into an agreement for the assignment of the student to the requested school.
   
   

3. The requested school is located at least ten (10) miles from the school to which the student is assigned, in accordance with applicable school attendance zone requirements.
   
   

4. The requested school is located at least fifteen (15) miles from the student’s home.
   
   

5. The requested school is not located in a public school district in which fifty percent (50%) or more of the public schools in the district are charter schools and fifty percent (50%) or more of the public schools in the district participate in a single application and enrollment process for public school enrollment.

Ref:    La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§9:951, 9:952, 9:953, 9:954, 17:15, 17:81, 17:104.1, 17:221.2, 17:221.4, 17:221.5, 17:238, 17:1944

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

Board minutes, 7-1-03, 7-15-03, 7-6-04, 3-7-07, 12-4-07, 1-20-09, 7-25-18, 3-3-20

City of Baker School Board