ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION - 5116.1

The Irvine Unified School Intradistrict/School Choice Policy provides the opportunity for parents/legal guardians to enroll their student in any school within the district. The conditions which restrict this policy are the requirements that parents/legal guardians must provide transportation, and that space is available at the requested school.

To assure that the approval is random and unbiased, the approval process is implemented as follows:

ELEMENTARY GRADES

(Incoming Grades K-6)

Approval Process for Elementary School Choice - Incoming Grades K-6

• The school choice window begins the first day school resumes after winter break and ends the last Friday in February.
• Parents/legal guardian complete a School Choice Form and submit the form to the front office of the desired school site.
• Based on request forms submitted by the deadline, a lottery is held and waiting lists (by grade level and site) are established.
• Requests received after the deadline are added to the end of the established waiting list.
• Periodically, schools are closed to School Choice due to high enrollment.

SECONDARY GRADES

(Grades 7 - 12)

Approval Process for Secondary School Choice – Grades 7-12

• Transition to middle school or high school is based not on previous school of enrollment but on the assigned school attendance area.
• 6^th and 8^th Graders: Parents/legal guardians will complete a Transition Years School Choice Request Form.
• 7^th and 9-11^th Graders: Parents/legal guardians will complete an Intradistrict Transfer Request Form.
• Parents/legal guardians wishing to pursue Intradistrict/School Choice must make a request during the School Choice window.
• Opportunities for transfer may be granted in the following manner:
  • On a one for one basis
  • Space permitting
• Based on request forms submitted by the deadline, a lottery is held and waiting lists (by grade level and site) are established.
• Requests received after the deadline will be added to the end of the established waiting list.
• Periodically, schools are closed to School Choice due to high enrollment.

Enrollment and Return Guidelines:

If a student is enrolled in a school outside their assigned attendance area and continued enrollment is desired, an Intradistrict School Choice Form need not be completed. Once enrolled in a school outside their assigned attendance area, students and their siblings receive priority at that school for continued enrollment over all other Intradistrict School Choice applicants. If, for any reason, the school is unable to permit continued enrollment, the principal will notify the student’s parents/legal guardians.

Students who elect to begin a given academic year at a school other than their assigned school may be refused enrollment at their assigned school for the balance of the same academic year due to restricted space availability. Transfers within the school year may disrupt student academic goals and progress. Students who still elect to return to their assigned attendance area school, may do so during the school year; however:

1. Elementary and Middle school students may only transfer at the beginning of a trimester.
2. High school students may only transfer at the beginning of a semester.
3. Year-Round students may not transfer to a traditional school.

Sibling Rule
In cases where not all siblings or students assigned to a school can be accommodated, students shall be accepted for enrollment as space becomes available, in the following order:

1. Students residing in an assigned school attendance area who would have an older sibling concurrently enrolled at the school.
2. Students who reside in an assigned school attendance area regardless of a sibling.
3. Students who do not reside in the assigned school attendance area, but would have a sibling enrolled concurrently.
4. Students on a school’s waiting list who reside outside the assigned school’s attendance area.

Revised June 11, 2002

Revised March 25, 2011
Revised October 3, 2017