Administrative Procedure 300: Admission Of Students to School and School Choice

Background

All persons of school age who are residents within the boundaries of the District, and whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are ordinarily residents in British Columbia, are entitled to enroll in an educational program provided by the District. Such students will be provided free of charge with the services and materials set out in section 82(1) of the School Act.

School age in the School Act is defined as the age between the date on which a person is permitted to enroll in an educational program (the first day of September of a school year if, on or before December 31, the person will have reached the age of 5 years) and the end of the school year in which the person attains the age of 19 years. In addition, the School Act makes provision for parent(s)/guardian(s) to defer the enrolment of their child until the first school day of September of the next school year and states that a person shall attend school until age 16 but is of school age until the end of the school year when they attain 19 years.

Definitions 

Available Space

The physical capacity, resources, staffing, or educational programs available or planned for a school as defined by the District.

Catchment Area

A geographical area around a school that includes part or all of the District. Catchment areas are established by the Board.

Catchment School

The school within whose catchment boundaries a student normally resides.

Catchment Student

A person of school age who is resident in the catchment area of the school.

Continuing Catchment

A catchment student who attended the school in the previous school year.

Continuing Non-Catchment

A non-catchment student who attended the school in the previous school year.

Continuing Non-District

A non-District student who attended the school in the previous school year.

Continuing Student

A person of school age in attendance at the school during the previous school year.

Cross Boundary Applicant

A school age student or child applying to attend a non-catchment school. The cross boundary application process is only for the regular school program.

Cross Boundary Late Transfer Applicant

A school age student or child applying to attend a non-catchment school after the cross boundary application deadline.

Designated First Nation School of Choice

The elementary school and the secondary school designated by a First Nation where eligible First Nation students, who meet residency requirements, as set out in the British Columbia School Act, are entitled to attend (see section 5.13).

District Choice Program

Elementary and secondary programs to which students apply for enrolment.

District Student

A person of school age who is resident in the geographical area served by the District.

Eligible First Nation Student

An eligible First Nation student who may enroll in an educational program provided by the Board, who is a member of a First Nation and ordinarily resident on a reserve as defined in section 2 (1) of the Indian Act or on Treaty Lands, and for whom the Government of Canada provides funding in relation to the student’s educational programs and services.

In the District context, Eligible First Nation Student applies to members of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) & səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations who meet residency requirements as set out in the British Columbia School Act, Section 74.2.

Enrolment

When the school gives permission for the student to attend and enters them into the school’s register.

International Student/Out of Province Student

A student who is not a resident of BC and pays fees to attend a District school. International students do not have automatic continuing status at the school in which they are placed.

Late Catchment Applicant

A newly arrived student or child applying to attend their catchment school after the second Friday in June.

Learning Services Student Support Programs

Special Education Programs, Alternate and Alternative Programs.

New Kindergarten Catchment Cohort

Catchment students entering Kindergarten for the first time.

Newly Arrived Student

A catchment student who applies to attend a District school as the result of:

• A change of primary residence of the parent(s)/guardian(s) whether moving into Vancouver from another school district, province, country, or moving within the area served by the District,
• A first time Kindergarten student,
• Entering the District from home schooling or an independent school.

Non-Catchment Student

A person of school age who is resident in the school district but not resident in the catchment area of the school.

Non-District Student

A person of school age who is resident in British Columbia but not resident in the school district.

Parent/Guardian

A person who usually has the care and control of a student, as the parent or legal guardian of a student, unless under an agreement or order under the Family Law Act that person does not have parental responsibilities in relation to the student’s education.

Place of Residence

Legal address of the dwelling in which the parent(s)/guardian(s) maintains their home and where the student ordinarily resides. For the purpose of enrolment, a student’s residency is determined as of the submission date of the application to enroll.

Placed Student

A student enrolled by the District at a non-catchment school due to insufficient available space.

Registration

The completion and submission of an application for enrolment in a school.

Resident in BC

A student is considered resident in BC if the student and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) are ordinarily resident in BC; that is, they have established a home where they customarily reside and maintain an ongoing physical presence.

Secondary French Immersion Catchment

Secondary French Immersion Catchments are geographical areas of the District used to determine placement of students in Secondary French Immersion programs.

Sibling Priority

Applicants with ‘sibling priority’ are prioritized for placement over applicants who do not have sibling priority in the following instances:

• Catchment applications to enroll in Kindergarten received during the priority registration period (between Nov 1 and Jan 31).
• Elementary District Choice Program applications for Kindergarten enrolment received during the District Choice Program application period.
• Cross boundary applications.

In order for sibling priority to be applicable the following conditions apply:

• An older sibling must already be attending the same catchment school, cross boundary school, or Elementary District Choice Program at time of application, at the same location where their younger sibling is applying to attend.
• An older sibling must be attending the same catchment school, cross boundary school, or Elementary District Choice Program in the same location concurrently with their younger sibling.
• The address of the principle residence for both siblings must be the same.

In schools that have both a regular catchment program and an Elementary District Choice Program, sibling priority does not apply between these programs.

Sibling priority is not applicable to the specific enrolment application processes listed below:

• Catchment applications to enroll in Kindergarten received after the priority registration period (after January 31).
• Catchment applications to enroll for grades 1-12.
• District Choice Program applications for grades 1-12, unless it is for the District Choice Program’s regular entry point (i.e.: Kindergarten, grade 6 Late French Immersion, etc.).
• Non-District student applications.

Procedures

1.0 Student Registration Requirements

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2.0 Age Requirements

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3.0 School Assignment

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4.0 Documentation Required

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5.0 Guardianship

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6.0 International Students

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7.0 Special Cases

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8.0 Waitlists

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9.0 Priority of Registration

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10.0 Program Placement

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11.0 Appeals

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12.0 Admission of Students with Special Needs

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13.0 Re-entry and Transfers

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14.0 Attendance Areas

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15.0 Late Registration

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16.0 Appeals and Disputes

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Reference: Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 22, 23, 65, 74.1, 75, 75.1, 82, 85 School Act; Bill 40
Adopted: November 1973
Revised: August 1, 1990; October 1991; September 1994; February 1996; January 1999;
March 3, 2003; September 2004; October 2014; September 24, 2018; February 5,
2020; June 20, 2022; Nov 1, 2024.