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 Jefferson County Public Schools is committed to providing a variety of learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of students. The goal is for every child to succeed in school. While most students enroll in their neighborhood school, the District recognizes that some students may benefit from a different educational setting, as deemed appropriate by their parent/guardian.  As such, the District offers a variety of school choices, allowing students to attend a school or participate in a program other than their assigned neighborhood school. Resident and nonresident students shall be allowed to attend any school or participate in any program of their choice on a space available basis, subject to the provisions of this policy and the accompanying regulation JFBA-R.

In implementing its choice enrollment program and applying it in particular circumstances, the District is not required to:

  1. Make alterations in the structure of a requested school or make alterations to the arrangement or function of rooms within a requested school.
  2. Establish and offer any particular program in a school if such program is not currently offered in such school.
  3. Alter or waive any established eligibility criteria for participation in a particular program, including age requirements, course prerequisites, and required levels of performance, as outlined and published by the school.
  4. Create additional space in the school or program by changing resources or staffing allocations.
  5. Enroll any student in any school or program after October 1 for the then-current school year.

CHOICE ENROLLMENT
Students within a designated neighborhood attendance area shall be permitted to register in the neighborhood school in their area unless special circumstances exist as identified by the District. Students may apply for choice enrollment in a school or program outside their neighborhood attendance area (including another neighborhood school, option school or charter school), and such applications shall be approved if there is space available, the application has been submitted in accordance with the procedures in regulation JFBA-R, and the other requirements specified in this policy and in regulation JFBA-R have been met.

Students granted permission to attend a school other than the school in their assigned neighborhood attendance area shall be treated no differently than those attending as neighborhood residents, including but not limited to curricular and extracurricular opportunities, attendance policies, and discipline protocols, subject to the limitations provided in state law and the rules of the Colorado High School Activities Association.

Subject to the provisions of this policy and the accompanying regulation JFBA-R, students accepted for choice enrollment shall be enrolled at their school of choice throughout the grades served by the school. After leaving the elementary or middle school level, a student must reapply for choice enrollment at the next level and may be given priority in accordance with JFBA-R unless the student is to attend the neighborhood school in the area in which the student resides.

The District reserves the right to rescind and/or amend a student’s school assignment, including reassigning students to other schools, if it determines that there is overcrowding of facilities, the school discontinues a particular program or cannot continue to meet the special needs of a student, the student no longer satisfies the eligibility criteria or required level of performance required by the school or program, or for other reasons authorized by law and considered by the District to be in the best interest of the student and/or the school. Articulation areas may adopt temporary rules governing choice enrollments to accommodate the opening of new schools, the closing of schools, the changing of boundaries, or the management of residential growth. The superintendent or designee must approve those temporary rules.

NONRESIDENT STUDENTS
The District recognizes that students may benefit from having a choice of schools to attend within the public school system that is not limited by school district boundaries.

Nonresident students from other school districts within the state who apply in accordance with this policy and regulation

JFBA-R may enroll in particular schools or programs in this District without the payment of tuition on a space-available basis as authorized by law and subject to the same provisions specified for choice enrollment in the immediately preceding section of this policy.

In addition to other reasons for denial of admission authorized by law, non-resident students who were expelled from another school district during the preceding 12 months or whose behavior in another school district during the preceding 12 months was detrimental to the welfare or safety of other students or school personnel may be denied admission.

Students who become non-residents of Jeffco after the standard enrollment period or between school years shall be allowed to remain enrolled at his/her District school subject to the requirements and procedures in state law, District policy, and administrative regulations for only that school year. If the student wishes to continue at that school in subsequent years, he/she must apply to return via the choice enrollment process.

ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSFERS
Parents or principals may initiate an administrative transfer request in accordance with this policy and the accompanying regulation JFBA-R. The administrative transfer option is only available for the purpose of moving a student from one Jeffco school to another in certain circumstances that may occur after the choice enrollment time period has ended, considering the best interest of the student and the school. Administrative transfers are not intended to accommodate students who fail to request a change in home schools during the choice enrollment period, or whose choice enrollment request was not accepted.

If the transfer school discontinues a particular program or cannot continue to meet the special needs of a student as defined by his/her Individualized Education Plan (IEP), the student no longer satisfies the eligibility criteria or required level of performance required by the transfer school as outlined and published by the school, or for other reasons authorized by law and considered by the District to be in the best interest of the student and/or the transfer school, the building principal may revoke the student’s transfer enrollment.

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation for resident students granted permission to attend a school or program outside their neighborhood attendance area shall be furnished by their parents unless it is determined that transportation is necessary for the District to comply with the requirements of state or federal law concerning homeless and disabled students. If space is available in District buses and a resident student desires to utilize existing school bus routes/stops without modifications, parents should request transportation from the director of the appropriate transportation facility. By mutual agreement, the transportation director/designee and school administration may grant temporary permission for choice enrolled students to ride a bus.

Transportation for nonresident students who enroll in the District shall be furnished by the parents unless it is determined that transportation is necessary for the District to comply with the requirements of state or federal law concerning homeless and disabled students.

UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION
In implementing this policy and the accompanying regulation JFBA-R, the District, superintendent, other administrators and teachers shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, religion, or disability of any student. Sexual orientation is a person's orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender status or perception of the individual's sexual orientation.

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
Requests from the parents of special education students for choice enrollment to another school or program shall be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. The student’s current Individualized Education Program (IEP) shall be considered by the student’s IEP team in determining if the requested school or program can meet the student's needs.
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CROSS REFERENCE:
JFBA - R, District Choice Enrollment
JFBA - E1, First Round Choice Enrollment Application
JFBA - E2, Second Round Choice Enrollment Application
JFBA - E1, (Spanish) Solicitud para la Primera Ronda de Matricula Alternativa
JFBA - E2, (Spanish) Solicitud para la Segunda Ronda de Marticula Alternativa
JFBA - E1, (Russian)

JFBA - E2, (Russian)
JFBA - E3, Administrative Transfer Procedure and Checklist for Principals
JFBA - E4, Choice Enrollment Confirmation Form

 

Download Choice Enrollment forms to complete online, here.

 

 

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