Instruction 6183
ENROLLMENT OPTION PROGRAM
In order for a student to attend Norris School District 160 as an option student, his/her parent or legal guardian shall submit an application to the Board of Education on or before January 1 for enrollment during the following and subsequent school years.
Application forms will be available in the Superintendent's office at Rural Route Box 93A, Firth, Nebraska 68358. The application form will be developed and provided by the Nebraska Department of Education. Along with the application form, the district will provide information regarding policies and procedures for participation in the open enrollment option program.
The initial application shall constitute consent for the school district in which the applicant resides to release student records pertaining to regular and/or special education records. Norris School District will request that this information is provided.
On or before April 1, Norris School District 160 will notify the parent or legal guardian or the student, the residing school district, and the Nebraska Department of Education, in writing, whether the application is accepted or rejected. If the application is rejected, the rejection notice will state the reason(s) for rejection.
The parent or legal guardian may also appeal the rejection to the Nebraska Board of Education within (30) days of the date the notification or rejection was sent.
Norris School District 160 will accept credits toward graduation that was awarded by another accredited school district. The district will award a diploma to an option program student if the student meets Norris's graduation requirements.
The district establishes the following standards for the acceptance or rejection of applications.
1. An option enrollment application shall be rejected in the event the capacity of a program, class, grade level, school building, or the availability of appropriate special education programs operated by the district would be exceeded by acceptance of the application.
2. The capacity of such programs are:
Kindergarten, Grade 1 , and Grade 2: twenty-two (22) students per authorized section.
Grades 3, 4 and 5 elementary classrooms: twenty-three (23) per authorized section.
Grade levels 6, 7 and 8 after enrollment is twenty-six (26) students per authorized section.
Grade levels 9, 10, 11 and 12: enrollment of one hundred hundred-thirty per grade level.
Option students will not be accepted into regular special education programs currently provided by the district if the enrollment in that program equals or exceeds the minimum allowable program range established by Nebraska Department of Education Rule 51 or a state approved variance.
3. Priority shall be first accorded to those applications required to be given priority by law, and next, by the order in which the applications were received, as determined by the superintendent or the superintendent's designee, and if received at the same time, on the basis of a random drawing.
4. Deadlines will not be waived by the Norris Board of Education.
The enrollment figures used in the above standards will be prepared by the Superintendent by March 15 for the ensuing school year based on the best current information available to make such projections.
The district will not employ additional faculty or other staff to enlarge or enhance an existing program to facilitate entry of option students. The district will not accept identified special education option students when programs for those students do not exist in the district or for whom an out-of-district program is required.
The parent or legal guardian of an option student shall be responsible for required transportation. If arrangements are made for the Norris School District to provide any of the transportation, the parent or guardian of the option student will pay any additional cost incurred. If no additional cost is incurred, the option student's parent or legal guardian will pay for the proportional cost of service provided.
An option student in grades 9-12 who transfers in to or out of Norris School District 160 will be subject to all waiting periods and eligibility requirements established by the Nebraska School Activities Association.
Policy Adopted: December 1995
Policy Amended: 9/11/97 and 10/9/97
8/16/99 and 9/14/99