Once decisions have been made regarding acceptance of students who have applied for admission under open enrollment prior to January 15, enrollment projections for the subsequent school year will be adjusted appropriately.  The school enrollment projections will also consider grade level and/or program capacity for decisions regarding students who apply after January 15.  Again, among students who apply for admission after January 15, District residents will be given preference over non-residents. 
  
When the projected enrollment of a school exceeds the school's grade level and/or program published capacity, the school will be declared "closed" to open enrollment.  Applications for open enrollment may be accepted in case the enrollment should drop below capacity.  

Eligibility

Students who apply for open enrollment status in the District must:

	Understand that enrollment is subject to the capacity limit established for the school, grade levels and/or programs.
	Agree to provide their own transportation.  Limited transportation is available for students outside the District boundaries.
	Agree to abide by the District's Uniform Code of Student Conduct and the school's rules.
	Understand that attending a school outside of your attendance boundary may result in lengthy travel.  Open enrolled students are expected to attend school during regular school hours despite the distance they travel.
	Agree to regular and punctual attendance as for all students and understand that the District will apply all appropriate statutes and policies regarding attendance.
	Secure athletic eligibility for transfer students.  Athletic eligibility of transfer students is regulated by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
	Understand that providing false information will result in the application being denied or revoked.

Timelines

By December 1.  An application packet will be available no later than December 1 of each year and thereafter at the Centralized Enrollment Office or on the SUSD website.  

By January 15.  The Centralized Enrollment Office shall accept completed applications submitted by emancipated students or the student's parents or legal guardians by January 15 for enrollment during the following school year. 

February 4-8.  The Centralized Enrollment Office will be accepting enrollment applications for students who have been accepted into theInternational Baccalaureate Program at Desert Mountain High School.

By February 15.  No later than February 15, the District shall notify the emancipated  student, parent, or legal guardian in writing whether the applicant has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity, or rejected.  If the student's application is rejected, the school shall state the reason for the rejection in the notification.

By March 31.  Emancipated students, parents or legal guardians who have been notified of the applicant’s acceptance via open enrollment must complete the appropriate enrollment documents so that the student(s) may be considered enrolled.  Failure to complete the necessary documents will result in the revocation of the open enrollment acceptance.

After March 31.  Emancipated students, parents or legal guardians who have been notified of the applicant’s acceptance via open enrollment after March 31st, but before the first day of school, must complete the appropriate enrollment documents within two weeks of acceptance so that the student(s) may be considered enrolled.  Failure to complete the necessary documents will result in the revocation of the open enrollment acceptance.

Late applications: Applications for open enrollment received after the January 15 deadline will be dated, filed, and considered only after students whose applications were submitted by the deadline have had an opportunity to enroll. Applications received after January 17 will be considered on a first come first served basis.  Emancipated students, parents or legal guardians who fail to meet the March 31 deadline as indicated above may submit a new open enrollment application according to the late application procedures.

Changing schools: Open enrolled students requesting enrollment at another SUSD school for the following school year must complete open enrollment documents and are subject to capacity limits and other provisions within this policy.

Enrollment Priorities

I If the Superintendent has determined that there is excess capacity to enroll additional students, such students shall be selected on the basis of the following priority categories:

Category 1: Subject to school, grade level and/or program capacity and/or availabilty, siblings of students accepted for open enrollment whose sibling was previously enrolled in the prior school year and will be concurrent in the upcoming school year.  This category will also include children of regular benefited Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) employees.

Category 2: Students who are not enrolled in the school during the current school year.
 
Within these categories, within-District open enrollment applications are given priority over out-of-District open enrollment applications. 

Late applicants will be considered as outlined in the timeline waiver section of this policy.

NOTE: If a category contains too many students at a site to allow acceptance of the entire group, the District will accept students from Category 1 on a first come, first served basis. The District will then use a lottery to select Students from Category 2.

The District shall notify the emanicapted pupil, parent or legal guardian in writing by February 15 whether the applicant has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity, or rejected.  Any applications for open enrollment received after the January 15 deadline will be placed on a waitlist and will be notified only if there is a capacity for additional enrollment in a school grade and/or program.

Status of Open Enrolled Students

Once the District approves an open enrollment application, it is not necessary to reapply for open enrollment to the same school in subsequent years unless the student wishes to change schools or if there has been a break in the student's enrollment at the school.  The District shall treat open enrolled students the same as resident students for purposes of continued admission to the school in which the student is open enrolled and admission to the schools into which that school feeds.  Thus, once open enrolled, students may elect to follow the feeder pattern established by the District for the school in which they open enrolled.
 
Note:  All siblings of students who were open enrolled in a school may enroll at the same school, provided that a sibling will still be enrolled there when they arrive.   Such siblings will be enrolled subject to school, grade level, and/or program capacity and/or availability.  

Exception to Eligibility and Revocation of Open Enrollment Status

A school is not required to admit a student who has been expelled by any school during the period of expulsion or who is not in compliance with a condition of disciplinary action imposed by any other school or with a condition imposed by the juvenile court pursuant to A.R.S. 8-301.  Acceptance for enrollment may be revoked upon finding the existence of any of these conditions.
 
A school shall not admit a nonresident or resident transfer student if the school has been notified by the District or the nonresident school district that the admission of the student would violate a court order of desegregation or an agreement with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights directed toward the remediation of alleged or proven racial or ethnic discrimination.

Exception:  Should there be excess school, grade level and/or program capacity and/or availability remaining for which no applications were submitted by the date established, the Superintendent may authorize additional enrollment of nonresident pupils:

Up to the determined school, grade level and/or program capacity and/or availability.

On the basis of the order of the completed applications submitted after the notification date established in the policy.

Without regard to enrollment standards being met.

As long as admission standards are met.

Open Enrollment will not be accepted after March 14.
  
Adopted:     August 9, 2011