5120 - ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOL, CLASS, AND GRADE

School District Of Westfield

Administrative Guidelines

5120 - ASSIGNMENT TO SCHOOL, CLASS, AND GRADE

The following guidelines shall be followed in assigning students to schools, classes, and grades. All inquiries regarding elementary and secondary school boundaries are to be directed to the District Administrator.

A.	School Assignment/Transfer

	1.	Fundamentally, student assignment to a school shall be determined by attendance areas. Such areas will be adjusted to balance class size and to maintain teacher-student ratios.

	2.	When feasible, children in the same family will be assigned to the same school, but children may be assigned to different schools when they live in a divided area, an overloaded area, or when requested by a parent and transportation can be provided through existing bus routes.

	3.	When parents request that their child attend a school other than the one in their attendance area, they will be asked to sign the Student Transfer Agreement 5120 F1 which contains a statement of agreement that the child may have to be transferred back to his/her attendance area school if class size, teacher-student ratio, or other specified criteria are no longer feasible to maintain. If the transfer is approved, the principal shall complete Form 5120 F2 - Transfer Notification and send it to the parents.

	4.	When families relocate from one neighborhood to another within the District during the school year, the children affected may continue their education at their original school if the transportation can be provided through existing bus routes, or parents provide transportation to/from school.

		Such determinations will be made individually by the building principals of the schools involved.


B.	Class and Grade Assignment/Transfer

	1.	Assignments to class and grade shall be made by the principal after consultation with relevant staff.

	2.	Placement will be based on several factors including the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of the student as revealed by the use of available data and observations of the staff.

		The following procedures shall be followed in a transfer of a student within a school:

		a.	A written request shall be made to the principal by the parent of the student, a professional staff member, or by a student. Transfer requests may also be initiated by the principal.

		b.	After consultation with the appropriate personnel, a determination regarding the validity of the request shall be made by the building principal.