Policy Details Page

Policy No. 3131
Students

---

Each student in the Tacoma School District is required to attend the school designated for the geographic attendance area in which he or she resides except as provided in accordance with the policy. The student’s place of residence is defined as the physical location of a student’s principal abode (i.e. home, house, apartment, facility, structure, or location – where the student lives the majority of the
time). The district will consider two types of intra-district transfers: parent initiated and District Initiated. Consideration of such transfers will be consistent with the district’s intent to maintain viable enrollment at each school in order to preserve the integrity of all available programs and course offerings and to support school options for families to the extent possible.

Children of Certificated and Classified Employees

The district shall grant transfer requests for students who are the children of full – time certificated and
classified employees residing within the district as required under RCW 208A.225.270(2).

Definitions:

1. Employee - To be considered a district employee, all of the following conditions must apply:
   1. the employee’s position must have a base pay (1.0 FTE) assignment, and
   2. the parent or legal guardian must be currently employed with the district at the time of the student’s initial enrollment at the school that is being requested. Seasonal, temporary, consultant, coaching or substitute jobs are not considered to be district employee positions
2. Types of schools and programs - District schools, excluding optional instructional programs:
   1. A full time certificated or full-time classified district employee may enroll his/her child at the school building to which the employee is currently assigned or a school forming the district K-12 continuum that includes the school building to which the employee is currently assigned.
   2. Certificated and classified employees who do not work full time and/or who are not assigned to a school building may request that their children be enrolled in a Tacoma school of their choice. The district will attempt to honor such requests, subject to space and program availability.

Verification of Student Residence

The Tacoma School District is authorized to verify a student’s residence within the district or a specific school attendance area by requiring the use of affidavits and/or other forms of verification or documents, such as rental agreements, utility bills, and/or real estate purchase contracts, as may be necessary to establish residence so that a student’s enrollment may be allowed to begin or to continue. The district reserves the right to further verify a student’s residence as the district determines.

Failure of the relevant parties to provide such verification or falsification of such documents may result in denial of the student’s enrollment or withdrawal of the student from a specific school or the district.

If it is determined at any time that a student does not reside within the district and/or is not otherwise legally enrolled in accordance with applicable board policies in state law, the student will be withdrawn from the Tacoma School District after the parents/guardians have received notice, and such withdrawal may occur at any time during or at the end of the school year.

Homeless children will not be required to provide proof of residency or other information regarding residency and will be enrolled in the district in accordance with RCW 28A. 225. 215.

Athletic Eligibility

Students with transfers under the provisions of this policy are subject to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s eligibility rules. After registering with and attending a high school, students who transfer from one school district to another school district, or from one high school to another high school within the Tacoma School District, shall be considered a transferring student. Students who transfer are ineligible to participate in varsity athletics for one calendar year from the date of first attendance in the new school.

Denial, Discontinuance, and Revocation of Transfer

The superintendent shall adopt regulations providing the right to appeal an administrator review of the denial of the transfer request or discontinuance of a transfer occurring between school years.

Any action revoking acceptance of an application and subsequent removal from the school shall be subject to the same procedural rights that apply to an expulsion action as provided by district policies and regulations. Absent exceptional circumstances, such as safety concerns, revoking an action shall not take effect until the end of a semester or grading period.

Parents shall be informed annually of the district’s attendance area transfer policy

The superintendent is authorized to develop and implement the necessary regulations for the administration of this policy.

Cross References:

• Board Policy 3130 District Attendance Areas

Legal References:

• RCW 28A.225.270 Intra-district enrollment options policies
• RCW 28A.225.300 Enrollment options information to parents
• RCW 28A.225.290 Enrollment options information booklet

---

Adoption Date: 06/22/00
Revised: 04/14/03
Revised: 02/27/14