FILE: JBCE
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE
Act 853 of 2014 provides for the right of a parent or legal guardians to enroll his/her child in a school other than the school to which the child was scheduled to be enrolled based upon a school district attendance zone, if the school at which the child was most recently enrolled received a School Performance Score of “D” or “F” in the most recent school year, and the school to which the child is sought to be enrolled received a School Performance Score of “A”, “B” or “C” in the most recent school year, pursuant to the state’s school and district accountability system.
To facilitate the operation of this Act the Vermilion Parish Public School System (“System”) establishes the following policy and procedure. As Act 853 provides for certain variable eligibility criterion, any enrollment based upon Act 853 will be considered an annual enrollment and will not obligate the System to allow for enrollment beyond one school year.
Single Point of Contact
A parent or guardian wishing to utilize Act 853 who resides and intends on continuing to reside during the upcoming school year inside or outside of Vermilion Parish must contact the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance at 220 S. Jefferson St., Abbeville, Louisiana. This will be the only office authorized to process an application to enroll under Act 853.
A birth certificate, identification and/or proof of guardianship must be provided at the time of application. An application for enrollment under Act 853 shall serve as consent for the System to obtain the records and information necessary to determine the eligibility/ineligibility of the student. Applications will be time/date stamped to establish timeliness of filing.
Verification of Initial Eligibility
Documentation of the prior school enrollment of the student must be provided such as a report card or official correspondence.
The System will verify that the school in which the student was most recently enrolled or would have otherwise attended, received school performance letter grade of a “D” or “F”.
The parent or guardian shall identify the school to which the student is sought to be enrolled, and the System will verify that such school received a letter grade of “A”, “B”, or “C” for the most recent school year.
Eligibility will be determined on an annual basis.
Verification of Capacity
The primary obligation of the System is to provide for the enrollment of students who reside within Vermilion Parish and more specifically to provide for enrollment of students in Vermilion Parish in the schools aligned with duly established attendance zones. Therefore, the System will not enroll Act 853 students to the extent that such enrollment may conflict with this primary obligation.
Upon receipt of an application for enrollment under Act 853 the System will verify whether the school to which the student is sought to be enrolled has sufficient capacity. The capacity verification shall take into account grade level and special program requirement, such as gifted and talented or special needs and shall be made on a school by school basis after the official student count on October 1 of each school year.
For purposes of determining capacity, as determined by district staffing policy, any school which has an anticipated enrollment of greater than 80% of its optimal total student capacity, in the grade in which the student seeks to enroll, will be deemed to have insufficient capacity to allow for an Act 853 enrollment. Any school that has portables or modular buildings would be considered at capacity.
Upon such a determination, the parent will be advised that the school to which enrollment is sought has insufficient capacity. The verification of capacity shall be an annual determination for the re-enrollment of Act 853 students for each subsequent year.
Excess Applications
In the event the number of applications for enrollment exceeds the capacity in any particular school, students enrolled in the school for the prior year shall have preference.
If, after enrolling all prior year students applicants exceed the remaining capacity, applicants will be selected in order of timeliness of application until capacity is no longer available.
Athletic Eligibility
Parents and guardians are responsible for contacting the LHSAA to determine the eligibility of the student for participation in varsity sports. In order to participate in varsity sports sanctions by the LHSAA, students must have written approval of the LHSAA.
Transportation
Parents and guardians of students who do not reside within Vermilion Parish will be responsible for the transportation of students to and from school. Parents and guardians of students who reside in Vermilion Parish must transport students to a bus stop or transfer point of a bus which serves the transfer school, and must remain with the student until boarding of the bus, and be present at the bus stop when the student disembarks from the bus.
Ineligibility
A student meeting any of the following will be ineligible to enroll as an Act 853 student:
The student was expelled for disciplinary reasons in the current or preceding school year;
The student was suspended more than once in the current or preceding school year;
The student was involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on school grounds or at a school sponsored event in the preceding school year;
The student was found in possession of any illicit drug or narcotic on school grounds in the current or preceding school year;
The student had more than 10 unexcused absences during the current or preceding school year.
After enrollment a student shall be ineligible to continue enrollment as an Act 853 student if any of the following apply:
The student is suspended more than once in during the school year;
The student is expelled for disciplinary reasons during the school year;
The student is involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on school grounds during the school year;
The student is found in possession of any illicit drug or narcotic on school grounds during the school year;
The student has more than 10 unexcused absences during the school year.
Adopted: September 15, 2016
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:105, 17:4035.1
Louisiana School, District, and State Accountability System, Bulletin 111, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 8-21-14, 8-22-14, 9-15-16
Vermilion Parish School Board