JC: School Attendance Areas (Boundaries)

SCHOOL CATCHMENT BOUNDARIES GUIDING PRINCIPLES 

Under the School Act section 75.1 (1) the Board of School Trustees (the ABoard@) must establish a catchment area for each school in the district.  The Board further has the duty, after considering the recommendations of the Superintendent of Schools, to assign students to various schools in the school district and the power to divide the district into attendance areas for the purpose of assigning students to various schools (School Act, Part 6, Div  2, Sec. 75(4) and Sec. 85).  The attendance areas are defined by the Board and are subject to periodic review as indicated in 75.1 (2). 

Guiding principles which serve as the foundation for the development and review of school catchment boundaries include: 

• balance the catchment student population with the capacity of a given school; 
• regular enrolling students should attend their Ahome@ in-catchment school.  Cross boundary enrollment should be administered according to the provisions contained within the School Attendance Area Policy and Student Admission and School Choice Policy (JECC); and 
• when school catchment boundaries are revised, existing students have the option to continue attendance at their current school (Agrand-parent@ provision). 

In accordance with the guiding principles, consideration to specific criteria will be given in the revision of catchment boundaries.  These criteria include, and are not limited to, family of schools transition, walking distance, major roads, physical terrain, public transit routes and infrastructure and proximity of schools to one another. 

CROSS-BOUNDARY PROVISIONS 

The Board of School Trustees (the ABoard@) believes the neighbourhood school is of prime importance in the delivery of educational services.  The neighbourhood school is entrusted to ensure quality instruction and strong programs in all prescribed curriculum areas.  Neighbourhood schools provide a sound education foundation by addressing the needs and wishes of most students and their parents through their curricular program.  The staff, administration, parents and students will work cooperatively to develop foci to meet the diverse needs and interests of students at neighbourhood schools.  The Board supports such initiatives and recognizes the goals and foci of a neighbourhood school may change over time.

The School Act (Part 2, Div. 1, Sec. 2) provides that a person of school age and resident in a school district is entitled to enroll in an educational program provided by the board of that school district.  Under the School Act Sec. 74.1 (2) the Board must enroll all persons who exercise their entitlement to enroll in an educational program under Sec 2 (1) and the Board must establish a date by which an application to enroll a person in an educational program as stipulated by Sec. 74.1 (4).  

While parents are encouraged to enrol children in their neighborhood schools, Sec. 74.1 (6) states that if the board determines that space and facilities are available at the school in which the educational program is made available, a person whose application was received by the Board by the date established under subsection (4) is entitled to enrol in that educational program. 

In order to address the educational interests and needs of its students, the Board=s policy on attendance areas provides for the following in order of priority: 

1. a catchment area child (students who reside within a school=s attendance area); 
2. a non-catchment area child (students who reside outside a school=s attendance area but within the Vancouver School district); 
3. a non-school district child (students who reside outside the Vancouver School District). 

As outlined in the School Act, the Board believes that it is important to maintain the relationship between residential location and school catchment areas.  However, following the School Act, students may attend a school outside their normal attendance area upon acceptance of a cross-boundary application, provided that suitable programs, staff, space, and facilities are available at the school requested. 

Maximum student enrolment limits will be set according to the capacity of each school and will be approved by the Board=s Senior Management Team.  Principals will limit acceptance of >cross‑boundary= requests so as not to exceed these limits.  Elementary and secondary schools may be required to provide space for new district classes and should limit cross‑boundary enrolments accordingly. 

Suitable proof of residence will be required by the school administrator or designate.  The provision of false information to the school may lead to transfer of the student(s).

Cross‑Boundary application forms are obtainable from any Vancouver school and must be completed by the parent and/or guardian. Completed forms must be submitted to the principals of the schools where enrolment is requested prior to March 1^st  of the current school year.  All applications will be date and time stamped accordingly upon submission. The principals of the schools where enrollment is requested will make all final decisions regarding school enrollment in consideration of priority order, program suitability, staff, space and facilities. Notification of cross-boundary acceptance must be provided by the administrator to the parent and/or guardian on March 31^st. 

Section 74.1 (7) stipulates that a non-school district child is entitled to enrol in an educational program in priority to a school district child whose application was received after the date established by the by the board.  Therefore a  non-catchment child who is accepted cross-boundary by March 31 cannot be bumped out of this space by a catchment area child registered after March 31 for the following school year. 

STUDENTS WHO RESIDE WITHIN A SCHOOL'S ATTENDANCE AREA 

Each student resident in an attendance area has the prior right to be accommodated in his/her neighbourhood school, providing suitable programs and facilities for the student are available. 

The student's residence shall refer to the legal address of the dwelling in which the student maintains his/her home and ordinarily resides. 

For the purpose of registration, a student=s residency is determined as of the date the application to enrol is submitted (74.1 (9)).  Students who move their place of residence outside the catchment area of the school may apply to remain and be accepted on a cross-boundary application.  In these cases, the principal, in consultation with the student and his/her parents and/or guardians, will determine an appropriate date of transfer to their catchment area school up to the end of the current school year according to what is in the best educational interests of the student. 

Where students are not residing in a home with their parent and/or legal guardian the district will require detailed information from the parent and/or legal guardian regarding the circumstances surrounding the student=s residency, and regarding the identity of the responsible adults to be contacted for the purpose of day to day school decisions. 

Students residing on a boundary street (the street that separates two catchment areas) are entitled to attend the school in whose catchment area they actually reside, as the neighbourhood school. 

Students whose guardians are not ordinarily resident in British Columbia, but who wish to enrol in an educational program in the District must apply and register with the Board's International and Out-of-Province Education Program and must pay the tuition fee charged to International and Out-of-Province students.  This requirement applies regardless of the citizenship status of the guardians of the student (i.e. Canadian citizens or landed immigrants), and regardless of whether the guardians of the student are resident in another Canadian province or a foreign country.

STUDENTS WHO RESIDE OUTSIDE A SCHOOL'S ATTENDANCE AREA 

Conditions for Acceptance of Cross-Boundary Students

• Acceptance of a student at an annex on a cross-boundary placement does not include acceptance at the school to which the annex is administratively attached.   
• Acceptance of a student at a main school on a cross-boundary placement does not include acceptance at the secondary school in whose attendance area the elementary school is located. 
• Students whose families move their place of residence outside of the catchment area of the school that they are currently attending must apply and be accepted on a cross-boundary application. 

Priorities for Consideration of Acceptance for and Continuation of Cross-Boundary Students

Subject to the current and future availability of space and resources in the requested school, cross-boundary applications and the continuation of cross-boundary status will be considered by the principal using the following priorities: 

1. students enroled as residents during the current school year or accepted on a cross‑boundary application at the school during the previous year; 
2. siblings (when other siblings are attending the school concurrently);  
3. students enroled in on‑site child care programs, or whose child care needs are provided within the attendance area; 
4. students whose residence falls within the attendance areas of other Vancouver schools; and 
5. students whose residence falls outside the Vancouver School District. 

DMT Responsibility: AS