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Board Policy 5110.3 - Voluntary Transfer Requests for Students

Board Policy 5110.3 - Voluntary Transfer Requests for Students

I. POLICY STATEMENT

  1. The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (Board) is committed to achieving excellence in equity within our students’ learning environment that demonstrates an inclusive, authentic, and culturally responsive community that attracts, supports, develops, retains, and celebrates a diverse masterpiece of students, families, and education professionals. The Board also values students attending schools within their communities.
  2. Although the Board expects that each student will attend the identified residential boundary/attendance school in which their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) resides, the Board recognizes that there are circumstances when consideration may be given for a student to attend a school other than their identified residential boundary/attendance school.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for considering the circumstances for a student to attend a school other than their identified residential boundary/attendance school and to provide a fair and equitable process for all parent(s) or guardian(s) requesting a transfer for their children from their identified residential boundary/attendance school to the requested school.

III. DEFINITIONS

  1. Designated attendance area – The geographical boundary defined by the Board for a school, which is open to all students of the appropriate grade level with a bona-fide residence within that geographical boundary.
  2. List of available schools – A list of available school options for which a parent may submit a request for a transfer and in which the enrollment capacity has not exceeded 90% of the state- rated capacity.
  3. Newly opened and/or constructed schools – A school that was recently built and slated to open or a school that was closed and is being reopened in an existing building.
  4. Residential boundary/attendance school – The school is assigned to the principal address of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) based on the school’s designated attendance area and the student’s grade level.
  5. State-Rated Capacity (SRC) – The number of students, as determined by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP), that can be accommodated for a full-time educational program in a school without impairing the delivery of educational services. The SRC is proposed by a Maryland school system using MDP formulas and is subject to that agency’s approval.
  6. Transfer – A request for special permission to attend a school other than the residential boundary/attendance school based on the bona-fide residence of the student’s parent or court-appointed guardian.
  7. Victim of a violent crime - A student who is a victim of a violent criminal offense which includes assault in the first degree, sexual assault in the first or second degree, abduction, arson, manslaughter, rape, and robbery. (COMAR 13A.08.01.20)

IV. STANDARDS

  1. The Superintendent/designee shall designate a department/office to review any request from a parent(s) or guardian(s) for their child to be transferred from their residential boundary/attendance school to another school if the parent(s) or guardian(s) request for the transfer meets any of the following criteria:
    1. A student with a sibling with disabilities enrollment transfer
      The transfer of a student whose sibling has been assigned to a school outside of the parent/legal guardian’s designated attendance area to receive instruction and or services as required by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Transfers may only be granted if space is available.
    2. A Before and After School Care transfer
      1. Transfers may be granted based upon student participation at an external childcare provider (a program not operated at the school). The childcare provider’s address must be within the requested transfer school’s attendance area. Childcare provider verification must be provided to the school annually to continue a transfer under this provision. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school when they move or cease using the services of the identified external childcare provider.
      2. Transfers are not granted to elementary or middle school students in order to enroll in a before and/or after-school care program that is operated at the requested school. Those program seats are allocated strictly to students residing within the school’s residential boundary and are fee-based.
    3. A student with English for speakers of other language (ESOL) sibling enrollment transfer
      The transfer of a student whose sibling has been assigned to an ESOL program outside of the parent/legal guardian’s designated attendance area. Transfers may only be granted if space is available.
    4. A terminal grade completion transfer
      A provision that allows students to complete their terminal year at a school outside of their designated attendance area. The student must be on track to graduate or to be promoted to the next grade.
    5. A departmental transfer
      A transfer may be granted for ESOL students to support instructional continuity at the school providing ESOL services.
    6. A victim of a violent crime
      The victim’s request to transfer is contingent upon immediate safety concerns, and the conviction or adjudication of the delinquency of the offender.
  2. In addition to meeting one of the transfer criteria, transfer requests to a school outside of the designated attendance/boundary area shall be approved only if the requested school is under SRC, the requested grade level is under SRC, and the school is on the “List of Available Schools.”
  3. Transfers will not be granted in or out of newly constructed/newly opened schools during their first year of operation.
  4. An official transfer request period shall be established and all transfer requests must be submitted during the transfer request period. A second official transfer request period shall be established for only parent(s) and guardian(s) who are new to Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). Deadlines for submission of a transfer request must be waived for victims of violent criminal offenses commited on school property or at school sponsored events.
  5. Transfer requests to comprehensive schools for children of school-based employees who work twenty (20) or more hours per week in the requested school and who are residents of Prince George’s County shall be granted but only on a space available basis.
  6. The student transfer season, list of available schools, and process for parents/legal guardians to submit transfer requests shall be communicated via a variety of ways, such as: community newsletters, emails, and the PGCPS website.
  7. No parent, guardian, or student, on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age shall be denied the benefit of, be treated differently from another person, or be otherwise discriminated against with regard to transfers.
  8. An approved transfer to a school shall remain in effect until the student reaches the terminal grade level unless there is a basis for recission outlined below.
  9. Recission of a transfer to a non-residential boundary/attendance school shall occur if:
    1. The parent(s)/guardian(s) has provided false information on the transfer application or registration documents;
    2. The parent(s)/guardian(s) has failed to provide verification of a bona fide residence; or
    3. The student provides evidence of a pattern of poor attendance, truancy and/or chronic behavioral concerns even after the provision of interventions.
  10. Denials of a transfer request and recissions of transfers may be appealed to the PGPCS Office of Appeals within 10 calendar days of the denial or the rescission notification. The Board shall hear all appeals requested by a parent(s)/guardian(s) regarding a decision of the Office of Appeals that relates to the transfer request or rescission of the transfer.

V. IMPLEMENTATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board directs the Superintendent to develop procedures to implement the student transfer guidelines and appeals process to the Board.

VI. REFERENCES

  1. Legal
    20 U.S.C. § 6316 (b); 34 C.F.R. §200.44 (e)
    §§ 3-1006; 4-109(c); 7-101(b); 7-102, MD. CODE ANN., EDUC.
    COMAR 13A.08.01.20
  2. Other Board Policies
    Policy 4200 – Rules of Procedures for Hearings Requested Under § 6-202 and Appeals and Hearings under § 4-205 of the Education Article

VII. HISTORY

Policy Adopted
11/10/70

Policy Amended
7/11/85

Policy Amended
1/23/97

Policy Amended
7/1/99

Policy Amended
9/20/01

Policy Amended
8/26/04

Policy Reviewed-No Revisions Required
11/9/04

Policy Reviewed-No Revisions Required
9/15/05

Policy Amended
7/1/08

Policy Amended
4/29/10

Policy Amended
4/12/12

Policy Amended
10/26/2023

About This Policy

Updated October 26, 2023

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