GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING STUDENT TRANSFER POLICY

The superintendent or designee is responsible for implementing the Student Transfer Policy adopted by the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. The policy will be applied using the guielines described in this document.

Magnet School Admission

Transfer requests made as part of a magnet school admission application will be approved or denied in accordance with the rules governing eligibility, admission, and attendance at a magnet school.

Administrative Reassignment

An administrative reassignment for disciplinary reasons will always include approval to attend a school other than the zoned school, if the reassignment is to a school outside the student's attendance zone.

Student Requests for Transfers

1. Special Education - Transfer requests or transfers made as part of a special education plan will be approved or denied in accordance with the rules governing eligibility, admission, and attendance at special education programs. Siblings of special education students will also receive approval to attend the school the special education student attends, and may complete all grades offered at that school even if the special education student graduates or transfers to another school.

2. Majority to Minority Transfers - Transfer request made under the majority to minority option will be approved or denied in accordance with the rules governing that option.

3. Employee's Child - For purposes of this category, an employee is defined as a Board employee whose employment is subject to the Teacher Tenure Act or the Fair Dismissal Act. A child is defined as the employee's natural or adopted child, a child for whom the employee serves as legal guardian, or a child for whom the employee has legal custody pursuant to court order or administrative authority.

1. Students living in the city: Students who live in the City of Tuscaloosa and who have a parent, who is an employee of the Board may: (a) attend the school in the attendance zone for their residence, or (b) attend the school where the parent works. Students whose parents work at a school not offering their grade level may: (a) attend the school in the attendance zone for their residence, or (b) attend the school offering that grade level in the attendance zone where the parent works.

2. Students not living in the City: Students who do not live tin the City of Tuscaloosa and who have a parent who is an employee of the Board may choose to attend the Tuscaloosa City Schools. If they do, they will attend the school where the parent works. Students whose parents work at a school not offering their grade level will attend the school offering that grade level in the attendance zone where the parent works.

3. Retirement of parent: Children who transfer under this policy will be permitted to complete all grades offered at the school to which they transfer even if the parent retires.

4. Academic Opportunity Program/Exceptional Student Placement - Transfer requests made as part of these programs will be approved or denied in accordance with the rules governing eligibility, admission, and attendance under the programs.

5. Hardship - Transfer requests based on hardship must be a necessity decided on an individual basis. The superintendent or designee may request any supporting documents or information deemed necessary to make a decision. Generally, these documents or information will include:

1. Requests based on physical disability or medial reasons: Records from professional health care providers or other satisfactory evidence showing the existence and severity of the problem and why a transfer will help the student.

2. Requests based on emotional problems or psychiatric reasons: Records from professional health care providers or other satisfactory evidence showing the existence and severity of the problem and why a transfer will help the student.

3. Requests made on personal safety: Statements from parents, school officials, or others explaining the danger posed to the child from attending school in the attendance zone.

4. Requests based on extraordinary circumstances relating to before and after-school care: An explanation showing why the circumstances go beyond a mere inconvenience to create a true hardship.

Other Considerations

Students who attended during the 1995-96 school year a school other than the ones permitted under the Student Transfer Policy will be allowed to complete all grades offered at that school. This provision, however, does not extend to siblings of those students if the siblings are not yet attending school. The siblings must attend a school permitted under this policy.

A student's eligibility for magnet school admission and for majority to minority transfers will be determined using the school in the attendance zone for the student's residence.

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