POLICIES AND REGULATIONS                                                                Policy #19

FLEXIBLE SCHOOL BOUNDARIES

Statement of Policy

The Peel District School Board accepts that the defined school boundaries may not always meet the program needs of students and therefore will attempt to provide an alternative under a flexible boundary policy.  The board will attempt to provide this alternative to the extent its financial resources, accommodations and contractual obligations permit.  Under the flexible boundary policy, students may apply to attend schools other than their home school.

Administrative Regulations

The student may elect to attend a school other than his/her home school on the following conditions provided that the school has space.  The availability of space shall be determined by the principal in conjunction with the Superintendent of Education.

1.       Priorities
          a)       first priority will go to students who cannot obtain a subject or subjects in the home school necessary for admission to a post secondary program of education or specific form of employment;
          b)       second priority will go to students who were in attendance in the school the previous year and whose parents have taken up residence elsewhere in Peel Region;
          c)       third priority will go to students whose siblings have been accepted under priority (a) or (b) (this priority is not available to sibling(s) of students attending regional programs including French immersion or Extended French)
          d)       fourth priority will go to students from any other part of the Region.

2.       Application for Admission to other than Home School
          a)       Application to attend another school shall normally be made by June 15 in any year.
          b)       Application shall be made on the appropriate form to the principal of the school to which the student wishes to transfer with a copy to the student's home school.  Applications on behalf of minors shall be made by the parent or guardian.  The application form is to be obtained from the home school.
          c)       The home school principal's signature on the application form will acknowledge awareness of the application and will confirm consultation with the parent.
          d)       Flexible boundary applications to attend kindergarten in French immersion schools will not be approved.  Students will attend home schools for kindergarten and those wishing to attend French immersion in grade 1 will be directed to the appropriate school at the completion of the kindergarten years.
          e)       Flexible boundary applications to access the Early Learning Program will not be approved.

3.       Admission
          a)       Priority for admission to a school will be in accordance with priorities set out in Section 1 and in the order in which applications are received by the principal.
          b)       No student will be admitted to a school other than his/her home school without:
                     i.       consultation, either in person or by telephone, between the parents or guardian in the case of minors, and the home school principal;
                    ii.        a consultation between the two principals.
          c)       A principal may refuse admission to a student if he/she believes such admission would:
                     i.       not be in the student's best interest;
                    ii.        not be in the interest of the school.
          d)       Where a boundary change has been instituted, no flexible boundary applications will be approved in the first year of the new boundary except for students who meet the requirements under priority 1 (a).
          e)       In the event of the acceptance of an application, the student will be admitted to the alternate school for the duration of the school organization/division (i.e. K-8, K-5, K-6, 6-8, 9-12).  At the end of that time, the student will automatically return to the home school, unless an application has been made and accepted to another school through the flexible boundary process and in accordance with established timelines.
          f)       Decisions regarding applications will normally be made no later than September 30, following confirmation of school reorganization.

4.       Transportation
The Board will not accept responsibility for the transportation of students taking advantage of this policy or for the provision of lunch supervision beyond that normally provided within the school.

Approved December 14, 1971
Revised March 1973
Revised December 1974
Revised January 1, 1998 (to reflect change in Board name)
Reviewed January 2000
Revised February 25, 2003
Approved December 13, 2005 (replaces former Policy #19 – Flexible School Boundaries)
Approved January 12, 2010

Appendix A

Appendix B