Students residing within district boundaries may enroll in district elementary and secondary schools consistent with the requirements of this policy. Students not residing in this district or those who wish to enroll in a district school that is other than the student’s home school may enroll in district schools under the district’s open enrollment policy and procedures (Policy 631 and 631P). No student will be denied enrollment based on actual or perceived race, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, or the status of their parents/guardians.
SCHOOL AGE
For resident students with disabilities who qualify for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and subsequent amendments thereto, and applicable state and federal regulations, “school age” will begin at the age of three (3) and continue through the semester of school in which the student attains the age of twenty-one (21) years.
PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION AND AGE REQUIRED
All students enrolling in kindergarten must be five (5) years old and all students enrolling in first grade must be six (6) years old on or before September 1 of the school year in which the student enrolls. Any student five (5) years old who completed a private or public out-of-state kindergarten for the required four hundred fifty (450) hours but has not reached the school age requirement by September 1 will be allowed to enter the first grade.
Upon enrolling a student for the first time in this district’s elementary or secondary schools, the school will notify, in writing, the person enrolling the student that within thirty (30) days a certified copy of the student’s birth certificate or other reliable proof of a student’s identity and birth date must be provided to the school. If other reliable proof is provided, rather than a birth certificate, that proof will be accompanied by an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate. Other reliable proof of a student’s identity and birth date may include, but is not limited to, a passport, visa, or other governmental documentation setting forth a student’s identity.
If the person enrolling the student fails to comply with the proof of age and identification requirement set forth in this policy, the school will immediately notify the local law enforcement agency of such failure, and will notify the person enrolling the student, in writing, that he/she has ten (10) additional days to comply.
The school will immediately report to the local law enforcement agency any documentation or affidavit received to prove the student’s identity and age which appears inaccurate or suspicious in form or content. Students will not be denied enrollment solely because the documentation or affidavit appear inaccurate or suspicious, or the student is homeless. In addition, students will not be denied enrollment on account of immigration or citizenship status.
A parent/guardian enrolling a student in this district who fails to provide the required documentation of a birth certificate to this district after being requested by the local law enforcement agency may be found guilty of a misdemeanor, but the student’s ability to attend district schools is not impacted.
IMMUNIZATION RECORDS
At the time of initial enrollment in district schools, and before attendance, a copy of the student’s immunization records shall be provided. The student’s parent/guardian must provide a certificate or record, signed by the student’s physician, physician’s representative, or other licensed health care professional, verifying that the student has received or is in the process of receiving immunizations as specified by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or can effectively demonstrate, through verification in a form approved by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, immunity gained through prior contraction of the disease. Alternatively, at the request of the parent/guardian, the district will access the voluntary statewide registry of immunization status (IRIS) maintained by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to verify whether the student has received the required immunizations.
Students not in compliance with this policy upon first admission in preschool or in kindergarten through grade 12 will be denied attendance unless the student is excepted or exempted as provided in policy 565. Nothing in this policy limits the authority of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to exclude students who have not been immunized from district schools or from excluding exempted students in the event of a disease outbreak.
TRANSFER
Students Transferring Into the District
All schools in this district are required by Idaho law to request a certified copy of the records of a transfer student from the former school within fourteen (14) days of the student’s enrollment. The requesting school will exercise due diligence in obtaining a copy of the records requested. A student transferring schools within the district need not provide proof of identity and age if the student’s record already contains such verified information.
The parent/guardian of a student transferring from out-of-state to this district is required by Idaho law, if requested, to furnish the district with accurate copies of the student’s school records, including records containing information concerning violent or disruptive behavior or disciplinary action involving the student. This information will be contained in a sealed envelope, marked to indicate the confidential nature of the contents, and addressed to the principal or other administrative officer of the school.
Failure of the parent/guardian to furnish the required records, or failure to request of the administration of the previous school to provide the required records, will constitute adequate grounds to deny enrollment to the transferring student or to suspend or expel the student if already enrolled.
Students Transferring Out of the District
In accordance with Idaho law, any school in this district receiving a request to transfer the records of a former student must forward the records to the student’s new school within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the request, unless the record has been “flagged.” A student’s record is flagged by the school upon notification by law enforcement of a missing or runaway child report. If a flagged record is requested, the school will notify law enforcement of the request for the flagged record. A school can remove the flag from the record only upon notification by law enforcement of the return of the child.
When a school record contains information of violent or disruptive behavior or disciplinary action of a student, the information will be included in the transfer of student records by placing it in a sealed envelope, marked to indicate the confidential nature of the contents, and addressed to the principal or other administrative officer of the school.
Placement of Transfer Students
The district will accept students transferring from another school district upon receipt of an official transcript and in accordance with district policy. Students transferring from an accredited public or private school will generally be placed in grades and classes on the basis of their placement or credits in the school from which they are transferring. The goal of the district is to place students at levels and in setting that will enhance the probability of the student’s success.
Academic achievement tests, developmental testing, together with other relevant criteria, including but not limited to, health, maturity, and emotional stability, may be considered in the placement of all students. Final disposition of all placement decisions and/or approval of transfer credits rests with the principal, subject to review by the superintendent or designee.
The district may request demonstration of proficiency in classes taken at schools not having proper secondary accreditation, including any private, parochial or home school, (grades 9-12) prior to accepting credit toward graduation. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that transferring students have demonstrated proficiency in the content standards required by the state and the district. Evaluation of the transferring student’s records will be completed by the building principal or designee(s).
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Sections
33-201 – School Age
33-506 – Organization and Government of Board of Trustees
33-512(7) – Governance of Schools (Exclusion Due to Contagious/Infectious Disease)
18-4511 – School Duties; Records of Missing Child; Identification Upon Enrollment; Transfer of Student Records
Public Law 94-142 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
CROSS-REFERENCE:
Immunization Requirements – 565
Open Enrollment – 631 and 631P
Transfer of Student Records – 680
ADOPTED: January 15, 2024
AMENDED: