FILE: JBCE-R
Cf: JBCE
RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE
Louisiana’s Public School Choice law (La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §17:4035.1), provides for the right of a parent or of legal guardians to enroll his/her/their child in a school other than the school to which the child was scheduled to be enrolled based upon a school district attendance zone, if the school at which the child was most recently enrolled received an SPS of “D” or “F” in the most recent assessment and the school to which the child is sought to be enrolled received a School Performance Score of “C” or better in the most recent assessment. To facilitate the operation of Louisiana Public School Choice, the School Board, in policy JBCE, Federal and State Requirements for Implementing School Choice authorized the Superintendent to establish the following procedures for enrolling out-of-parish students.
DURATION OF ENROLLMENT
As Louisiana Public School Choice provides for certain variable eligibility criterion, any enrollment based upon Louisiana Public School Choice will be considered an annual enrollment and will not obligate the system to allow for enrollment beyond one school year.
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
A parent or guardian wishing to utilize Louisiana Public School Choice who resides and intends on continuing to reside during the upcoming school year outside of Plaquemines Parish must contact the Superintendent, Plaquemines Parish School Board Administration Office, 1484 Woodland Hwy., Belle Chasse, LA 70037. This will be the only office authorized to process an application to enroll under Louisiana Public School Choice.
An application for enrollment under Louisiana Public School Choice shall serve as consent for the System to obtain the records and information necessary to verify data submitted and to determine the eligibility/ineligibility of the student to enroll in the school district.
VERIFICATION OF INITIAL ELIGIBILITY
In order to determine eligibility to enroll, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must provide the following:
A completed application to enroll in an identified Plaquemines Parish Public School, available in the Office of the Superintendent located at the above address.
A completed application data collection form, available in the Office of the Superintendent located at the above address.
Proof of attendance at a “D” or “F” school in the prior year or a picture identification of the parent/legal guardian enrolling the child verifying residency in the attendance zone of the school rated as “D” or “F” that the student would have otherwise attended if the student had been attending a public school.
APPLICATION DATA COLLECTION FORM
Before eligibility for enrollment can be determined, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of any student seeking to enroll must comply fully with the required data collection requirements.
Academic records: including most recent report card; statement of promotion to the next grade or retention (if at the beginning of the school year); a complete transcript of the student’s academic performance throughout his/her academic career; special education records, if applicable; 504 accommodations and verification, if applicable; test scores from previous state and/or school-based assessments; any and all other records requested by the Superintendent or Designee to determine proper grade/academic placement.
Discipline records: including all records of suspension, expulsion, or placement in an alternative setting.
A student will be ineligible for transfer if his/her prior school placement was that of an alternative school;
The student will be ineligible for transfer if his/her discipline record indicates any one of the following:
The student was expelled for disciplinary reasons in the preceding year;
The student was suspended more than once in the preceding school year;
The student was involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on the school grounds or at the school bus stop more than once in the preceding school year;
The student was found in possession of any illicit drug or narcotic or weapon on school grounds or at the school bus stop in the preceding school year.
Attendance records
The student will be ineligible for transfer if he/she amassed more than 10 unexcused absences during the preceding school year.
A certified copy of the child’s birth certificate;
Proof of domiciliary custody of any minor child (Custody by Mandate is not accepted by the Plaquemines Parish School Board).
Complete immunization records indicating compliance with state law and recent required immunizations.
An official social security card for the student
IMPORTANT: Written consent of the student’s previous school system to both of the following:
To make payment to the School Board an amount equal to the School Board’s local per student amount recognized in the Minimum Foundation Program for the school year in which the student seeks to enroll, in proportion to the portion of the school year during which the student is enrolled in the system, and the appropriate local share of capital expenditures; and
To provide any and all records and information required by the School Board to determine the student’s eligibility/ineligibility to enroll.
VERIFICATION OF CAPACITY
Upon receipt of an application for enrollment under Louisiana Public School Choice the System will verify whether the school to which the student is sought to be enrolled has sufficient capacity.
The capacity verification shall take into account grade level and special program requirements, such as programs for gifted and talented students, honors classes, special classes for students with disabilities, accelerated pathway classes, etc., and shall be made on a school by school basis.
For purposes of determining capacity, any school which has an anticipated enrollment of greater than 80% of its optimal total student capacity, in the grade in which the student seeks to enroll, will be deemed to have insufficient capacity to allow for a Louisiana Public School Choice enrollment.
At no point will the district hire additional teachers or secure portable classroom space in order to provide capacity.
Upon such a determination, the parent will be advised that the school to which enrollment is sought has insufficient capacity.
The verification of capacity shall be an annual determination for the re-enrollment of Louisiana Public School Choice students for each subsequent year.
EXCESS APPLICATIONS
In the event the number of applications for enrollment exceeds the capacity in any particular school, students enrolled in the school for the prior year shall have preference.
If, after enrolling all prior year’s students, applicants exceed the remaining capacity, applicants will be selected at random until capacity is no longer available.
ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY
Parents and guardians are responsible for contacting the LHSAA to determine the eligibility of the student for participation in varsity sports. In order to participate in varsity sports sanctioned by the LHSAA, students must have written approval of the LHSAA.
TRANSPORTATION
Parents and guardians who do not reside within Plaquemines Parish will be responsible for the transportation of students to and from school.
INELIGIBILITY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR
After enrollment a student shall be ineligible to continue enrollment as an Act 853 student if any of the following apply:
The student is suspended more than once in the school year;
The student is expelled for disciplinary reasons during the school year (This includes ineligibility to enroll in the system’s Alternative School);
The student is involved in more than one fight or other act of violence on school grounds or at the school bus stop during the school year;
The student is found in possession of any illicit drug, narcotic, or weapon on school grounds or at the bus stop during the school year;
The student has more than 10 unexcused absences during the school year.
New regulation: October 3, 2016
Revised: December 6, 2021
Ref: Board minutes, 10-3-16, 12-6-21
Plaquemines Parish School Board