MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Personnel
500
POLICY TITLE: Statement of Guiding Principles CODE NO. 500
The Board of Directors intends to protect the rights of each student and promote the welfare of all students simultaneously.
It shall be the policy of the MOC-Floyd Valley community School District that no student shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, marital status, physical disability or national origin. Guidelines for compliance with this policy are embodied in Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Acts, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Policies in this series are enacted to aid in providing quality experiences for students in all activities related to the educational program. It is the purpose of the Board to provide opportunities for all students to become more useful and productive citizens as adults.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED: 3/8/10
LEGAL REFS: MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Student Compulsory Attendance Requirement CODE NO. 501.1
The Board believes that sound basic education is essential to a child's future economic success and personal happiness. Iowa's public education system provides its children with an excellent opportunity to obtain such an education
It is the responsibility of all persons within the district having control of a child over seven and under 16 years of age by September 1 in proper physical and mental condition to make sure that the child attends public school at the attendance center designated by the Board. Students shall attend school the number of days school is in session in accordance with the school calendar. Students attending competent private instruction shall attend a minimum of thirty-seven days per quarter and a minimum of one-hundred and forty-eight days per year. Exceptions to this policy include children who:
1. Have completed the requirements for graduation in an accredited school or have obtained a high school equivalency diploma: 2. are attending a nonpublic school officially approved by the Iowa State Department of Education; 3. are attending religious services or receiving religious instruction; 4. are attending an approved or probationally approved private college preparatory school. 5. are receiving competent private instruction from a parent guardian, or legal custodian.
It is the responsibility of the person in control of a child to show proof that the child is mentally and physically unable to attend school or that the child meets one of the above listed exceptions.
The Superintendent of Schools shall develop regulations to be approved by the Board of Directors for excused and unexcused absences.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED: 3/8/10 LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Secs. 257.25; 279.10-.11;299.1-.6;299.11; 299.15; and 299.24 (1985 & Supp. 1985). 670 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 63 1978 Op. Att'y Gen. 378
CROSS REFS: 501.8 Student Attendance 601.2 School Calendar 601.3 School Day 602.6 Special Education 602.16 Equivalent Instruction MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Entrance Requirements: Evidence of Age CODE NO. 501.2
A student shall not be admitted to preschool unless he or she is four years old on or before September 15 of the current year.
A student shall not be admitted to kindergarten unless he or she is five years old on or before September 15 of the current year.
A student shall not be admitted to first grade unless he or she is six years old on or before September 15 of the current year.
A birth certificate or other satisfactory evidence of age is required of each student entering school in this district. Health and immunization certificates are also required, as provided by law and Board Policy (see 504.1).
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: 3/27/00 REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVISED: 3/8/10 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED:
LEGAL REFS: Constitution of Iowa, Art, IX, Sec. 7 Iowa Code Sections 281.2(1); 282.3(1); (2), and (3) Attorney General Ruling: 7-2-79
Notes: School districts are without discretion to admit a student to kindergarten unless the child has attained the age of five on or before September 15 of the school year; not even if the child has been attending kindergarten in another state where earlier admission is allowed (Atty. General's Opinion, 7-2-79).
Children requiring special education are not permitted to enter school until they reach legal entrance age. However, special aids and services must be provided to children under five, if such aids and services will reasonably permit the child to enter school when he reaches school age. See 602.6, Special Education MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Resident Students CODE NO. 501.3
Under Iowa Law, all children are entitled to an education in the public schools of Iowa free of personal payment of tuition until their graduation from a four-year approved public high school or until they reach the age of 21.
A student is restricted in his right to attend school free of tuition to the district of his residence, unless otherwise provided by statute. Ordinarily, the legal residence of a minor is the same as that of his parents; but a minor may have a residence for school purposes that is not the same as that of his parents. Where the residence of the parents would unreasonably deprive a child of school privileges, another school residence may be established, provided the child's residence is established for the sake of the child's having a home and not primarily for the sake of obtaining a free education.
Each case involving the bona fide residence of a student may be decided upon its individual merits by the Board of Directors, subject to appeal to the State Superintendent of Iowa.
"Residence" means "the place, abode, or dwelling" of a person.
Resident students may attend the school free of tuition if: -- they are actual residents of the school district, and are between the ages of five and 21. -- they have been designated residents of the school district by a court; -- they are wards of guardians or other persons who stand in loco parentis, and who live in the district; -- They are officially approved foreign exchange students living with a family within the district and attending school within the district; (see 501.5) -- they are children of state employees who are residents of the district, including the minor children of alien parents; -- they are honorably discharged members of the military for as many months after their 21st birthday as they have spent in U.S. military service.
A student who has reached the age of 18 and is still eligible to attend an Iowa secondary school may declare his own residence independent of the residence of his parents.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED: 3/8/10 LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Sections 282.2; 282.6; 282.7; 285.4; HF 2551 Attorney General's Rulings: 6/26/29; 2/19/37; 9/5/46; 9/7/55- Court Cases: Oshel v. Creston Comm. Sch. Dist., DPI Admin. Doc. 570, 1/8/81; Mt. Hope School Dist v. Hendrickson, 197 N.W. 47 (Iowa 1924) MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Nonresident Students CODE NO. 501.4
Qualified students who are not legal residents of this district may be admitted to school at the discretion of the superintendent of schools upon application and payment of tuition. The tuition rate shall be the current per-pupil cost of this district, as computed by the secretary of the Board and as authorized by the State Department of Education.
Nonresident students who show positive evidence that they and their families will become legal residents of the school district prior to October 1 may be allowed to attend without the payment of tuition. Resident students whose families move from the district after the start of the first or second semester, and who wish to complete the semester in this school district, may be permitted to attend without the payment of tuition provided the new district maintains the same grade. Students permitted to remain after parents have moved from the district must be recommended by the principal and superintendent.
Students in grades eleven or twelve who are no longer residents of the school district, but who were residents in the preceding school year, may continue to attend school until they graduate without the payment of tuition. These students must have a resident guardian identified for purposes of administrations.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED: 3/8/10
LEGAL REFS: Lakota Consolidated Ind. School v. BuffaloCenter- Rake Comm. School, 334 N.W. 2d 704 ((Iowa 1983). Mt. Hope School Dist. v. Hendrickson, 197 N.W. 47 (Iowa 1924). Iowa Code Secs. 282.1; .2; .6; .7; .24; 442.4; (1987 as amended by H.F. 499, 72nd G.A. 1st Sess,). MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: International Students CODE NO. 501.5
Qualified international students may be enrolled and attend school without charge, if they are recommended by the American Field Service, Meiji Gakuin Higashimurayama High School in Tokyo, Japan, or an approved local organization and reside within the boundaries of this district. Proper I-20 forms and other required papers must be processed by the district, the student, and the sponsoring organization before an international student can be formally admitted to school.
The Board of Education will consider acceptance of other international students on a tuition basis. In order to be considered as an international tuition student in the MOC-Floyd Valley District, a student would have to meet preliminary requirements. Those requirements are as follows:
1. The student must demonstrate English proficiency by a TOEFL score of 500 or above, or a score of 470 with attendance at the ESL Summer Institute at Northwestern College. 2. The student would need to have a written confirmation from a host family within the MOC- Floyd Valley School District. The fact that the host family also has a student in high school at the same time the foreign student would be attending the MOC-Floyd Valley High School will be considered a positive factor in the final decision on whether to accept the international student. 3. The student must have a means to pay full tuition, in advance, at the annual rate set by the State Superintendent of Schools.
If an international student meets the previously outlined requirements, District acceptance will be considered through application of all district policies dealing with Open Enrollment, including those embodied in Policy 501.9 and 501.11.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVISED: 3/8/10 REVIEWED: 9/20/04 REVIEWED:
LEGAL REFS: MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Shared Time Students CODE NO. 501.6
The Code of Iowa provides the framework for allowing students of private school to attend classes in the public school when specific classes are not available in the private school. It also states that local boards may prescribe the terms of such shared time enrollment.
It is the policy of the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District to allow private students to enroll in classes which are not available in the private high school. Tuition will not be assessed for private school students who are residents of the MOC-Floyd Valley District. Non-resident students are to be charged tuition at a rate equal to a pro-rata share of the allowable tuition rate by the per pupil state aid for the school district.
Shared time students will be allowed to enroll according to the following terms: 1. Attending regularly scheduled MOC-Floyd Valley classes when student slots are available. 2. Attending special classes made up entirely of private school students when said class could be taught by regular staff. 3. Attending special classes made up entirely of private school students taught by additional staff provided that (a) enrollment is sufficient to fund the class (b) properly qualified part- time instructors are available and; (c) once the part-time teacher is contracted, the private school would be obligated for the difference between the funding provided from state and local taxes generated by the increased enrollment, tuition and the lesser of actual expenditure or the per pupil tuition rate.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 10/11/04 REVIEWED: 4/12/10
LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Section 257.26; 442.4 Attorney General Rulings: May 9, 1972 MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Leaving School CODE NO. 501.7
Students may leave the school grounds only with the approval of the principal, the principal's designee, or superintendent. Leaving school without permission is classified as truancy.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 10/11/04 REVIEWED: 4/12/10
LEGAL REFS: MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Student Attendance Policy CODE NO. 501.8
Students will be expected to attend classes regularly and to be on time in order to receive maximum benefit from the instructional program, to develop habits of punctuality, self-discipline and responsibility, and to assist in keeping disruption of the educational environment to a minimum. While it is possible for an absent student to make up much of the school work missed, it is impossible to completely compensate for absence from classes.
Absences always cause some disruption in the educational progress of the student who was absent. In order to maintain interest and understanding in a program of instruction, students should not expect to be absent any more than is absolutely necessary. Students who fail to make up work missed may not understand what the teacher is currently presenting, and may also become discouraged with the double burden of keeping current and making up missed work. Irregular attendance or tardiness by students not only retards their own studies, but also interferes with the progress of those pupils who are regular and prompt in attendance.
Students who have good attendance records are most likely to achieve higher grades, enjoy school life to a greater degree, and have more employment opportunities after leaving school. Prospective employers expect promptness and regular attendance from employees and are reluctant to hire persons who have not established good habits of responsibility and self-discipline. Life-long patterns of responsibility and self-discipline of regular attendance and promptness are fostered by attention given them during the years of school attendance.
There are times, however, when school officials may determine that the problems associated with absence from school are outweighed by the advantages of an activity in which the student participates and they may endorse or sponsor the activity or trip. Attendance at such approved trips or activities will not be considered an absence from school.
Therefore, it shall be the policy of the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District to strongly encourage regular attendance on the part of its students. Students who are absent from school without reasonable excuse shall be subject to disciplinary measures which may include, but not be limited to, short-term and long-term suspension.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: 8/11/03 REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 10/11/04 REVIEWED: 4/12/10
LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Sections 274.1; 279.8; 299.8 Court Cases: Burdick v. Babcock, 31 IA 562 (1871) MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Related Rules CODE NO. 501.8R
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
The class attendance policy is based on the fact that something important happens in class every day, and that the activity or interaction with the teachers and students can never be exactly duplicated. An absence is only excused when both the parent(s) and the office have excused it. Examples of unexcused absences include, but are not limited to, truancy, haircuts, shopping, oversleeping, and appointments that can be scheduled outside of the school day. . Parents are expected to call the school before 9:00 am on the day on which their child is absent to verify the student’s absence. If the parents have not called before 9:30, school personnel will attempt to contact the parents or the student’s emergency contact person. Parental verification of an absence must be communicated with office personnel by the end of the next school day after the absence. If there is no parent verification, the absence will automatically become unexcused. Unexcused absences are subject to loss of privileges, detention, and suspension. Any student who accumulates five unexcused absences in a course during a semester will be dropped from the class and will not earn credit. Make-up work. The longer a student waits to make up work the less value that work is likely to have in the learning process. Students will be expected to have make-up work completed by the established due date. It is always the student’s responsibility to gather make up work from his/her teachers. Late/overdue work. On Thursday of each week, teachers will provide the office with a list of any student with late/overdue work. Students on that list will be expected to complete an application for acceptance of late work, which establishes a final due date and the possible credit to be earned. In addition, these students will be expected to attend success with the teacher for whom they are missing work (until that work is completed at an acceptable level as deemed by the teacher). . During an in-school suspension, homework must be completed and turned in by the end of the day that a student is in-school suspended. If a test or quiz is given while a student is serving an in-school suspension, the student will be expected to take the test/quiz in the office. . Following an out-of-school suspension a student will be expected to complete an application for acceptance of late/overdue work for each class. Students will then be bound by the established due dates. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Related Rules (Cont.) CODE NO. 501.8R
SEMESTER EXAMS/CULMINATING ACTIVITIES Semester exams/culminating activities will be required at the conclusion of each semester in all full- credit courses. In our analysis of academic data it is clear that students who are frequently tardy to class perform at a significantly lower level than their classmates who are prepared and present for the entire class. To encourage academic effort and positive attendance patterns, students may earn an exemption from the semester exams if they meet the following criteria:
a) No unexcused absences b) All class work must be completed by the course cut-off date AND the student must be earning a . . . B- or better semester grade and 3 or fewer tardies in the class OR A- or better semester grade and 4 or fewer tardies in the class c) If a student has more than 12 total tardies during a semester, he/she will be required to take all semester exams/culminating activities.
Semester exams/culminating activities will account for up to 10% of the semester grade for the course. Students who are exempt may participate in the semester exam/culminating activities with the chance to improve, but not harm their semester grade.
Semester Two--Semester Exam/Culminating Activity Opportunity We will not run a special exam schedule for seniors and will not have an exemption option. Instead, all seniors will start the semester with their final day scheduled for May 12, 2010 (Five days earlier than the rest of the student body). Any senior who accumulates more than 12 unexcused tardies or has one or more unexcused absences will be required to attend all classes on May 13 as well.
Seniors should also be aware that accumulating more than 12 unexcused tardies or one or more unexcused absences will also eliminate eligibility for senior privileges (open campus/Freedom Fridays, Open Success) for the remainder of the school year. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Related Rules CODE NO. 501.8R
MOC-Floyd Valley Middle School and Elementary School
Attendance Notification
A. When, in the judgment of the principal, student tardiness or absenteeism is excessive, a meeting between the student, the student's parents and the principal will be held to work out a plan to correct the circumstance.
Tardiness A. Three tardies to a class will result in a detention upon the fourth tardy.
Absences A. Absences from school will be considered excused for the following reasons: a. Personal illness b. Death or serious illness in the family or household. c. Medical and dental appointments which cannot be made other than during school time. d. Reasons approved by the principal. e. Work at home. f. Vacation.
B. Absences from school for the following reasons will generally be treated as unexcused absences and will result in disciplinary action. a. Shopping trips, hair appointments. b. Working for someone other than the parents. c. Other like reasons as determined by the principal. d. Leaving school without administrative approval and/or being absent without parent approval. e. Trips not approved in advance. f. Hunting, fishing, attendance at games. g. Suspension (students may earn up to 100% credit on their make up work). h. Birthday or other celebrations. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Related Rules (Cont.) CODE NO. 501.8R
C. School work missed due to absences must be completed to the satisfaction of each teacher whose class or classes were missed. 1. All school work should be made up within the number of school days which are double those of the absence (e.g., three days absence must be made up in six school days. Absences or more than five days must be made up as arranged with each teacher. 2. Students who do not made up their school work as required by this rule may be subject to disciplinary measures. 3. Students will generally receive full credit for school work made up due to absences.
D. All students who were absent from school for any reason shall verify, in written form or via a phone call, the specific reasons for their absence and the specific days or times they were absent. The signature of a parent or guardian is required if submitted in writing.
Any student guilty of signing a written reason for absence for their parent, signing someone else's written reason for absence in lieu of the parent, or falsifying the written notice in any way shall be subject to disciplinary action or suspension up to three days.
E. No later than four weeks following the close of each school year, the principal in charge of each attendance center will report to the Board of Directors regarding average daily attendance for the school year. Such report will include an explanation of the data presented. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Open Enrollment Transfers – Procedures as a Sending District CODE NO. 501.9
The school district will participate in open enrollment as a sending district. As a sending district, the board will allow resident students who meet the requirements set by the board to open enroll to another public school district.
Parents requesting open enrollment out of the school district for their student shall notify the receiving school district and the Department of Education no later than March 1 in the year proceeding the first year desired for open enrollment. The notice shall be made on forms provided by the Department of Education. The forms are available at the central administration office.
Parents of children who will begin kindergarten in the school district are exempt from the open enrollment March 1 deadline. Parents of children who will begin kindergarten shall file in the same manner set forth above by September 1 of the beginning of the child's kindergarten year. Parents who have good cause for failing to meet the March 1 deadline as defined in the state code and rules, may make an open enrollment request in the same manner set forth above.
Open enrollment requests out of the school district that, if denied, would result in students from the same nuclear family being enrolled in different school districts, will be given highest priority. Other open enrollment requests out of the school district shall be considered in the order received by the school district with the first open enrollment request given a higher priority than the second open enrollment request and so forth.
The board shall take action on the open enrollment request by March 30 in the year preceding the first year desired for open enrollment. Prior to the board's action, parents may withdraw the open enrollment request.
The board grants authority to approve open enrollment applications out of the district, if timely filed. The Superintendent may not deny an open enrollment. The superintendent shall notify the parents by mail within three days of the board's action to approve or deny the open enrollment request. Approved open enrollment requests shall be transmitted by the superintendent to the public school district, receiving district, chosen by the parents within five days after the board's action on the open enrollment request.
The board shall not approve a student's request to allow the receiving district to enter the school district for the purpose of transportation.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: 9/18/96 REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVISED: 4/12/10 REVIEWED: 11/8/04 REVIEWED: LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Section 139.9; 274.1; 279.11; 282.1, .3, .8,.18, 299.1; (1991) Iowa Code Section 282.18 (Iowa Acts 1992) 281 I.A.C. 90-6-2(L) MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Open Enrollment Transfers – Procedures as a CODE NO. 501.10 Receiving District
The school district will participate in open enrollment as a receiving district. As a receiving district, the board will allow nonresident students, who meet the requirements set by the board, to open enroll into the school district. The board shall have complete discretion to determine the attendance center of the students attending the school district under open enrollment.
The board shall take action on the open enrollment request no later than December March 31 in the year preceding the first year desired for open enrollment. The superintendent shall notify the sending school district within five days of the board's action to approve or deny the open enrollment request. The superintendent shall notify the parents within fifteen days of the board's action to approve or deny the open enrollment request. The superintendent shall also forward a copy of the board's action with a copy of the open enrollment request to the Department of Education.
Open enrollment requests into the school district will not be approved if insufficient classroom space exists. Open enrollment requests into the school district will also not be approved for students who have been suspended or expelled by the administration or the board of the school district the student is or was attending until the student has been reinstated into the school district from which the student was suspended or expelled. Once the student is reinstated, the student's open enrollment request will be considered in the same manner as other open enrollment requests provided the required timelines are met.
Open enrollment requests into the school district that, if denied, would result in students from the same nuclear family being enrolled in different school districts will be given highest priority. The board, in its discretion, may waive the insufficient classroom space reason for denial for students of the same nuclear family to prevent the division of a nuclear family between two school districts. Other open enrollment requests into the school district shall be considered in the order received by the school district with the first open enrollment request given a higher priority than the second open enrollment request and so forth.
Generally, students in grades ten through twelve open enrolling into the school district shall not be eligible for participation in interscholastic athletics during the first ninety days of open enrollment into the school district. Such students may be eligible to participate if: MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Open Enrollment Transfers – Procedures as a CODE NO. 501.10 Receiving District (Cont.)
The school district and the sending district participate jointly in the sport; The sport in which the pupil wishes to participate is not offered in the sending district; The sending district was dissolved and merged with one or more contiguous school districts for failure to meet the accreditation standards; The student is open enrolling because the sending district has entered into a whole grade sharing agreement with another school district for the student's grade; The student's parent is an active member of the armed forces and resides in permanent housing on government property provided by a branch of the armed services; The student paid tuition for one or more years under a sharing or mutual agreement between the school district and the sending district for one or more years prior to open enrolling into the school district.
Parents of students whose open enrollment requests are approved by the board are responsible for providing transportation to and from the receiving school district without reimbursement unless the parents qualify for transportation assistance. The board will not approve transportation into the sending district.
Open enrollment requests into the school district shall be for four years or more. The four-year requirement shall not apply to students who will graduate within four years, to students who move to another school district, or when the parent petitions for permission to open enroll to an alternative receiving district.
Open Enrollment Into the School District as an Alternative Receiving District
The board shall take action on the open enrollment request to the school district as an alternative receiving district within fifteen days of receipt of the open enrollment request. The superintendent shall notify the parents of the board's action to approve or deny the open enrollment request at the next regular meeting of the board. If the open enrollment request is approved, the Department of Education will be notified.
Open enrollment requests into the school district as an alternative receiving district shall be considered by the board in the same manner as open enrollment requests in to the school district as a receiving district. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Open Enrollment Transfers – Procedures as a CODE NO. 501.10 Receiving District (Cont.)
Approved open enrollment requests into the school district as an alternative receiving district shall be effective the following semester break or at the beginning of the next school year. It shall be within the discretion of the board to make the open enrollment request into the school district as an alternative receiving district effective immediately based upon the circumstances of the open enrollment request and with the mutual agreement of the board of the school district the student is attending. The superintendent shall notify the parents of the effective date of the open enrollment into the school district as an alternative receiving district within fifteen days of the mutual agreement.
Attendance center assignments, athletic eligibility and transportation of students open enrolling into the school district as an alternative receiving school district shall be handled in the same manner as students open enrolled into the school district as a receiving district.
An open enrollment request into the school district from parents of a special education student shall be reviewed on a case by case basis. The determining factors for approval of such an open enrollment request will be whether the special education program available in the school district is appropriate for the student's needs and whether the enrollment of the special education student will cause the class size to exceed the maximum allowed. The area education agency director of special education serving the school district shall determine whether the program is appropriate. The special education student shall remain in the sending district until the final determination is made.
The policies of the school district shall apply to students attending the school district under open enrollment.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop appropriate office procedures and administrative regulations necessary for open enrollment requests.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: 9/16/02 REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVISED: 4/12/10 REVIEWED: 11/8/04 REVIEWED: LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Section 139.9; 274.1; 279.11; 282.1, .3, .8, 299.1 (1991). Iowa Code Section 282.28 (Iowa Acts 1992) 281 I.A.C. 17 1990 Op. Att'y Gen. 90-6-2(L) MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Insufficient Classroom Space CODE NO. 501.11
This policy is in conjunction with open enrollment.
Insufficient classroom space exists when conditions adversely affect the implementation of the educational philosophy and program of the board. The board shall determine insufficient classroom space on a case by case basis. Criteria to be used by the board in its determination may include, but not be limited to, available personnel, grade level, educational program, instructional method, physical space, equipment and materials available, finances available, facilities either being planned or currently under construction, sharing agreements in force, bargaining agreements in force, and district goals and objective.
This policy shall be reviewed by the board annually between the months of July and October.
Ratios shall be maintained, as required by law, for special education students.
APPROVED: 2/15/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 11/8/04 REVIEWED: 4/12/10
LEGAL REFS: Iowa Code Section 282.18 MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Attendance Center Boundaries CODE NO. 501.12
Description of Attendance Center Boundaries
It shall be the policy of the MOC-Floyd Valley District that the following attendance center boundaries will separate those students who attend the Orange City Elementary Center and those students who attend the Hospers Elementary Center. Every student who resides west of the boundary described below will attend the Orange City Elementary Center. Every student who lives east of the boundary so described will attend the Hospers Elementary Center. If a change in residence during the school year would require that a student change attendance centers, they may attend in the previous attendance center for the remainder of that school year but will be required to furnish their own transportation.
Beginning at the corner of 370th Street and Jay Avenue, the boundary shall go south to 390th Street, then east 1/2 mile, then south 1 mile to 400th Street, then west 1/2 mile to Jay Avenue, then south 1 mile to 410th Street, then east one mile to Jefferson Avenue, then south 3 1/2 miles on Jefferson, then west one mile to Jay Avenue, then south four miles on Jay Avenue, then west 1/2 mile to the center of section 21 Nassau Township, then south 2 1/2 miles to the district border.
APPROVED: 8/24/94 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 11/8/04 REVIEWED: 5/10/10 MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Student Transfers In from Non-Accredited Settings CODE NO. 501.13
Students who transfer into the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District must meet the immunization and age requirements for students who initially enroll in the school district.
The district retains the right to determine grade level placement and whether or not to accept credits that the transfer student earned in a non-accredited setting toward graduation. The superintendent or designee will use reasonable means to make grade placement and credit decisions, including both subjective and objective academic evaluations, testing and review of a student’s portfolio. In the event credit is awarded, neither numerical nor letter grades received in the non-accredited setting will be recorded on the student’s permanent record.
A student who transfers in from a non-accredited setting will be eligible for honors and awards only for the actual period of time he or she has been enrolled as a regular student in the school district. Students transferring into high school from a non-accredited setting will not be eligible for class ranking until they have been fully enrolled for four or more semesters. Students must meet the graduation requirements of the school district in order to be eligible for a diploma.
Credits and grades earned through dual enrollment under Iowa Code section 299A.8 will be accepted towards graduation, class rank, honors and awards if all other criteria are met.
APPROVED: 5/11/98 REVISED: REVIEWED: 1/11/99 REVIEWED: 12/13/04 REVIEWED: 5/10/10
LEGAL REFS: 20 U.S.C. Section 1232g (1988) Iowa Code Sections 139.9; 282.1, .3; 299A (1995) Iowa Code Section 279.8 (1993) MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Homeless Children and Youth CODE NO. 501.14
The District shall make reasonable efforts to identify homeless children and youth within the District, shall encourage their enrollment in school, shall eliminate existing barriers in district policies and procedures which may serve as barriers to their enrollment, and shall ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education, including public preschool education, as is provided to other children and youth.
Definitions:
“Homeless children and youth” means individuals from age three through age 21 who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth who are: Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; Living in emergency or transitional shelters; Abandoned in hospitals; Awaiting foster care placement; Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; Children and youth who have primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodations for human beings; Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described in this definition.
Incarcerated children and youth and children and youth in foster care are not considered homeless.
“School of origin” means the school that the homeless child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the homeless child or youth was last enrolled.
“Unaccompanied youth” means a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, including youth living in runaway shelters, abandoned buildings, cars, on the streets, or in other inadequate housing, youth denied housing by their families, and school-age unwed mothers, living in homes for unwed mothers, who have no other housing available.
Liaison: The Superintendent of Schools shall serve as the District’s liaison for homeless children and youth. The liaison shall ensure that: Homeless children and youth are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies; Homeless children and youth enroll in school and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school; MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Homeless Children and Youth (Cont.) CODE NO. 501.14
Homeless children and youth receive educational services for which they are eligible, including Head Start and preschool programs administered by the District, and referrals to health, mental health, dental and other appropriate services; Parents and guardians of homeless children and youth are informed of available educational and related opportunities provided to their children and of the opportunities for the parents and guardians to participate in the education of their children; The District disseminates public notices in places in which homeless children and youth receive services of their educational rights; The District informs parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youth of transportation services, including to and from the school of origin, and provides assistance in accessing the transportation to school; Enrollment disputes are properly mediated.
The liaison shall also assist parents, guardians and unaccompanied youth in enrolling in school and accessing school services, obtaining student records, arranging for immunizations, and shall help to coordinate transportation services.
No segregation: Homeless children and youth shall not be separated from the mainstream school environment on the basis of their status as homeless. Homeless children and youth may be segregated from other students only for short periods of time as necessary for health or safety reasons or to provide temporary, special and supplemental services to meet the unique needs of homeless students. Homeless children and youth shall not be stigmatized or isolated on the basis of their status as homeless. Records indicating their status as homeless shall be maintained in accordance with confidentiality requirements.
Immunization Records: A homeless child or youth will not be denied enrollment for lack of immunization records if the child is transferring from another school and the school confirms the presence of the immunization record. The District liaison will make a reasonable effort to locate immunization records from the information provided or will arrange for the student to receive immunizations.
Student Records: Homeless children and youth transferring into the District may provide student records directly to the District. The District will not require that the records be forwarded from another district or school before the child may enroll. The District will then request the student’s records from the previous district or school attended by the student. Homeless children and youth transferring out the District may be provided directly copies of student records to take with them.
Waiver of school fees: School fees shall be waived in accordance with the District’s policy on waiver of fees or if necessary for the homeless child or youth to obtain equal access to a free public education. The District liaison shall also assist students in accessing resources for appropriate school clothing. MOC-FLOYD VALLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Attendance
501
POLICY TITLE: Homeless Children and Youth (Cont.) CODE NO. 501.14
Free and Reduced Price Meals: The application process for free and reduced price meals shall be expedited for homeless children and youth. The District may determine if a student is homeless and requires free meals without completing the full application process.
School placement: School placement determinations for homeless children and youth shall be made on the basis of the best interests of the homeless child or youth. The District will, to the extent feasible, keep a homeless child or youth in the school of origin, unless the parent or guardian or unaccompanied youth requests another school and the District concurs in attendance at the preferred school. If the District sends a homeless child or youth to a school other than the school of origin or a school requested by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth, the District will provide a written explanation of its decision with notice of the right to appeal the decision pursuant to State appeal procedures.
The placement determination shall be a student-centered, individualized determination. Factors to be considered may include the age of the student, the distance of the commute and the impact on the student’s education, personal safety issues, the student’s need for special education and related services, the length of the anticipated stay in temporary shelter or other temporary location, and the time remaining in the school year. Homeless children and youth may be assigned to other schools if necessary to receive a free and appropriate public education in accordance with a special education IEP.
Transportation: If a homeless child or youth continues to live in the District but in a different attendance area that the school the student was previously attending in the District, the District, at the request of the parent, guardian, or at the request of the District liaison on behalf of an unaccompanied youth, shall provide or arrange for transportation to and from the school previously attended. If the homeless child or youth is no longer living in the District, but is continuing his or her education in the District, the District will apportion the responsibility and costs for providing the child with transportation with the district where the child is currently living.
Conflicts with other policies: Provisions in this policy shall supersede any conflicting provisions in other District policies, regulations or procedures.
APPROVED: 2/10/03 REVISED: 9/15/08 REVIEWED: 12/13/04 REVIEWED: 5/10/10 REVIEWED:
LEGAL REFS: No Child Left Behind, Title X, Sec. 722, 107-110 (2002) 42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq. (1994) 281 I.A.C. 33