Pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), district schools may be identified as
“schools in need of improvement” or "persistently dangerous." Students attending schools
identified as persistently dangerous or students who were victims of a violent criminal offense on
school grounds, as defined by state law, may transfer to another school in the district, but
transportation will not be provided. Students attending a school identified as a school in need of
improvement have the option of transferring to another district school at the district’s expense, in
accordance with the law.
Students transferring under this procedure will have the same access to classes and other activities
as other students enrolled in the school.
Buildings Identified as Schools in Need of Improvement
Students Eligible to Transfer
If a school is identified as a school in need of improvement only students whose residence is in
that school’s attendance area are eligible to transfer pursuant to this procedure.
A student is not eligible for the transfer program if he or she was assigned to a particular school
by court order or for disciplinary purposes or does not meet special eligibility criteria for the
school selected. If the number of students seeking a transfer exceeds the funds budgeted and
available to provide transfers, the district must give priority to the lowest-achieving students from
low-income families.
Students eligible for the transfer program who are also eligible for supplemental educational
services under NCLB must choose between these options and notify the district in writing as to
which option was chosen by a specific date set by the district.
Students with disabilities, as defined by federal law, are eligible for the transfer program. The
district will work with parents to provide the student an appropriate program. In some instances,
students identified for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) may
only transfer after the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) has been modified by the
IEP team.
Notification
The district will draft a notice for parents of eligible students, in accordance with the law, detailing
the student’s option to transfer to another school in the district. The notice will be mailed to
parents before the first day of school and will instruct all parents seeking to transfer their students
to contact the district’s central office. The notice will include a date by which the parents must
notify the district.
The notice will also be included in the school enrollment packet and the student handbook and/or
other materials distributed at the beginning of the school year to students attending that school,
as well as disseminated through broader means such as the district’s website. The notice will be
provided in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that
parents can understand. The following information will be provided to the parents and students
of schools identified for improvement:
1. An explanation of what the identification means and how the school compares in terms of
academic achievement to other district schools and other schools in the state.
2. The reasons for the identification.
3. An explanation of what the school identified for school improvement is doing to address
the academic issues that led to identification.
4. An explanation of what the district or the state is doing to help the school address the
achievement problem.
5. An explanation of how the parents can become involved in addressing the academic issues
that caused the school to be identified for school improvement.
6. An explanation of the parents’ option to transfer their student or to obtain supplemental
educational services, when applicable. The explanation of the parents’ option to transfer
must include, at a minimum, information on the academic achievement of schools to which
the student may transfer.
Even if transfer is not possible because the district only has one (1) school for a grade level or all
of the district's schools are identified for school improvement, parents still must be notified that
the school has been identified for school improvement and that the student is eligible to transfer,
but no choices are currently available.
Transfer Process
Parents interested in transferring their students will be directed by district staff to the district’s
central office. The parent must fill out a written request and submit it in accordance with the
deadline established in the notice. Any written request received after the deadline will be
processed for the following year, or the following semester if possible.
If the number of students seeking a transfer exceeds the funds budgeted and available to provide
transfers, the district must give priority to the lowest-achieving students from low-income families.
The district will prioritize all requests based on whether the student's family qualifies for free and
reduced-cost lunches and on the student’s MAP scores and other relevant test scores, as
determined by the district.
The central office will provide parents a list of all schools to which their student is eligible to
transfer. This list will not include other schools identified as schools in need of improvement or
schools with special eligibility criteria that the student does not meet, such as an alternative school.
The parents will make their selection in writing.
The district will notify the parents regarding how transportation will be provided. If a student
transfers to a school close enough to the student’s residence that the district would not otherwise
provide transportation pursuant to Board policy, the district will not provide transportation.
Changes to Residency or Status
If a student’s residence changes mid-year to an attendance area of a school not identified as
needing improvement, the student may remain in the school he or she transferred to until all
grades available at the school are completed, but the district will not provide transportation.
If the school the student transferred from is removed from the list of schools in need of
improvement, the student may continue to attend the school the student transferred to for the
remainder of the school year and the district will continue to provide transportation, in accordance
with law. The student also may continue at the chosen school until all grades available at that
school are completed, but the district will not provide transportation to the student beyond the
remainder of the school year in which the school was identified.
Annual Verification
Parents of students whose qualifying school was removed from the “schools in need of
improvement” list will be notified in writing before the first day of school that they are no longer
eligible for the transfer program. The parents will be advised that the student may continue to
attend the school the student transferred to as long as the parent, and not the district, provides the
student transportation.
The parents of all other students who are still eligible under the transfer program will be notified
as described above and must reapply for the transfer program.
Buildings Identified as Persistently Dangerous
Students Eligible to Transfer
Students attending schools identified as persistently dangerous are eligible to transfer to another
district school if there is another school building in the district educating students in the student’s
grade level that is not identified as persistently dangerous and is otherwise available to take
additional students.
Only students whose residence is in the attendance area of the school designated as persistently
dangerous are eligible to transfer pursuant to this procedure. The district is not obligated to
provide transportation to the chosen school.
A student is not eligible for the transfer program if he or she was assigned to a particular school
by court order or for disciplinary purposes or does not meet special eligibility criteria for the
school selected.
Students with disabilities, as defined by federal law, are eligible for the transfer program. The
district will work with parents to provide the student an appropriate program. In some instances,
students identified for services under the IDEA may only transfer after the student’s IEP has been
modified by the IEP team.
Notification
If the school is identified as persistently dangerous, the district will draft a notice for parents of
eligible students in accordance with the law, detailing the student’s option to transfer to another
school in the district. The notice will be mailed to parents in a timely manner and will instruct
all parents seeking to transfer their students to contact the district’s central office. The notice will
include a date by which the parents must notify the district.
The notice will also be included in the school enrollment packet and the student handbook and/or
other materials distributed at the beginning of the school year to students attending that school,
as well as disseminated through broader means such as the district’s website. The notice will be
provided in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that
parents can understand.
Transfer Process
Parents interested in transferring their students to a school that is not identified as persistently
dangerous will be directed by district staff to the district’s central office. The parent must fill out
a written request and submit it in accordance with the deadline established in the notice. Any
written request received after the deadline will be processed for the following year, or the next
semester if possible.
The central office will provide parents a list of all schools to which their student is eligible to
transfer. This list will not include other schools designated as persistently dangerous or schools
with special eligibility criteria that the student does not meet, such as an alternative school. The
parents will make their selection in writing.
Changes to Residency or Status
If a student’s residence changes mid-year to the attendance area of a school not identified as
persistently dangerous, the student may remain in the school he or she transferred to until the end
of the year.
If the school the student transferred from is removed from the list of "persistently dangerous"
schools, the student may continue to attend the school the student transferred to for the remainder
of the school year.
Annual Verification
Parents of students whose qualifying school was removed from the “persistently dangerous” list
will be notified in writing before the first day of school that they are no longer eligible for the
transfer program. The parents of all other students who are still eligible under the transfer
program will be notified as described above.
Victims of Violent Criminal Offense
Students Eligible to Transfer
Students who were victims of violent criminal offenses while on school property are eligible to
transfer to another district school, if available. The district will work with the students and
parents to assist in the selection of an appropriate school. The district may, but is not obligated
to, provide transportation services to the students.
“Violent criminal offenses” are the following:
1. Kidnapping under § 565.110, RSMo.
2. First degree assault under § 565.050, RSMo.
3. Forcible rape under § 566.030, RSMo.
4. Forcible sodomy under § 566.060, RSMo.
5. First degree burglary under § 569.160, RSMo.
6. First degree robbery under § 569.020, RSMo.
7. First degree arson under § 569.040, RSMo.
8. Second degree assault under § 565.060, RSMo.
9. Sexual assault under § 566.040, RSMo.
10. Felonious restraint under § 565.120, RSMo.
11. First degree property damage under § 569.100, RSMo.
12. First degree child molestation under § 566.067, RSMo.
13. Deviate sexual assault under § 566.070, RSMo.
14. Sexual misconduct involving a child under § 566.083, RSMo.
15. Sexual abuse under § 566.100, RSMo.
Notification
If a student is a victim of a violent criminal offense in a school that is not otherwise identified as
persistently dangerous, the district will notify the parents and the student of the option to transfer
to another school in the district and provide additional information upon request. The transfer may
occur at any time during the school year.
Changes to Residency
If a student is a victim of a violent criminal offense and his or her residence changes mid-year to
the attendance area of a school other than the one where the crime occurred, the student may
remain in the school he or she transferred to until the end of the year. The district will work with
the parents and student to determine if the student should attend the school in the new attendance
area the following year.
* * * * * * *
Note: The reader is encouraged to review policies and/or forms for related information in
this administrative area.
Implemented: 03/01/2007
Jefferson City School District, Jefferson City, Missouri
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