• Governing Board Policy JFB © - OPEN  ENROLLMENT

    The School has an open-enrollment program as set forth in A.R.S. 15-816.01 et seq.  The open enrollment program described in this policy shall be placed on the School website and made available to the public on request.

    No tuition shall be charged for open enrollment, except as authorized by applicable provisions of A.R.S. 15-764, 15-797, 15-823, 15-824, and 15-825.

    Information  and  Application

    The Executive Director shall prepare a written information packet concerning the School's application process, standards for acceptance or rejection, and policies, regulations, and procedures for open enrollment.  The packet will be made available to everyone who requests it.

    The information packet shall include the enrollment application form and shall advise applicants that they must submit enrollment applications to be considered for enrollment during the following school year.

    Capacity

    The Executive Director shall annually estimate how much excess capacity may exist to accept transfer pupils.  The estimate of excess capacity shall be made for each school and grade level.  The charter school may give enrollment preference to and reserve capacity for pupils who are any of the following:

    1. The enrollment of eligible children, grandchildren or legal wards of employees of the School, employees of the charter holder, members of the Governing Body of the School or directors, officers, partners or board members of the charter holder.
    2. Pupils who were enrolled in the School the previous year.
    3. Pupils who attended another charter school or are the siblings of that pupil if the charter school previously attended by the pupil has the identical charter holder, governing body and governing body membership as the enrolling charter school or is managed by the same educational management organization, charter management organization or educational service provider as determined by the charter authorizer.

    The Governing Body shall make the final determination of excess capacity.

    Enrollment  Priorities

    If the Governing Body has determined that there is excess capacity to enroll additional pupils, such pupils shall be selected on the basis of designated priority categories from the pool of pupils:

    1. Who have properly completed and submitted applications; and
    2. Who meet admission standards.

    Enrollment priorities and procedures for selection shall be in the order and in accordance with the following:

    1. Enrollment preference shall be given to siblings who would be enrolled concurrently with pupils who were enrolled in the School the previous year.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Executive Director.
    2. Enrollment preference shall be given to pupils who were enrolled in the School the previous year and their siblings who would be enrolled concurrently.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Executive Director.

    Enrollment preference may be given to children who are in foster care or meet the definition of unaccompanied youth prescribed in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 United States Code Section 11434a).

    Admission  Standards

    A school district may refuse to admit any pupil who has been expelled from another educational institution or who is in the process of being expelled from another educational institution.

    Notification

    The School shall notify the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian in writing whether the applicant has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity, or rejected.  The School shall also notify the resident school or school district of an applicant's acceptance or placement on a waiting list.  If the applicant is placed on a waiting list, the notification shall inform the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian of the date when it will be determined whether there is capacity for additional enrollment in a school.  If the pupil's application is rejected, the reason for the rejection shall be stated in the notification.

    Exception

    Should there be excess capacity remaining for which no applications were submitted, the Executive Director, upon approval by the Governing Body, shall authorize additional enrollment of pupils:

    1. Up to the determined capacity.
    2. On the basis of the order of the completed applications submitted after the notification date established in this policy.
    3. Without regard to enrollment preference.
    4. As long as admission standards are met.
    5. Whose applications are submitted.

    Adopted:  September 13, 2021