Inter-District Open Enrollment Policy Guidelines

1. An application from a non-resident student for an inter-district transfer must be submitted to the Northeastern Local School Superintendent’s office between April 1st and prior to the first day of school each year.  Applications will be acted upon no later than July 1st, 2023, except for kindergarten, based on the procedures listed below, and notification of applicant’s parents and resident district superintendent will be made within (5) working days of action being taken on the application.  Parents will have ten (10) days in which to accept and must notify the Northeastern Local School District of their intent for their child to enroll in the Northeastern Schools under Inter-District Open Enrollment.  Failure to notify the Northeastern Schools within the ten (10) day period of time will result in this offer being withdrawn, thus allowing for other students to be considered for an available opening.
2. A separate application must be submitted for each student who requests an inter-district transfer.
3. Applications must be re-submitted annually for any previous inter-district transfer student for the succeeding school year.  All approvals are on an annual basis and must be re-approved in accordance with the Inter-District Open Enrollment Guidelines in effect for the succeeding school year.

A. Upon application, the parent may request a building assignment; however, the Superintendent of the Northeastern Local School District reserves the right to assign the building which the student would be attending.

B. Applications of non-resident students will be considered provided grades K-8, building, and program class size balances, can be maintained.  At the elementary level, building capacity will be determined by the number of available teachers and classroom spaces.  The building capacity aspect of the guidelines will be reviewed annually and appropriate changes will be made if necessary.  The district will continue to strive for low student/teacher ratios at all levels, and in no case will such ratios exceed those established by the Ohio Department of Education.

At the senior high level, acceptance will be determined by the availability of course capacity on a course-by-course basis.  Therefore, the parent and student must complete a tentative registration with the guidance personnel at those buildings to enable school officials to determine the availability of space prior to acceptance of the student.

C. No student, once accepted by the Northeastern District, will be displaced within the current school year, once the school year begins.

D. Enrollment in a Special Education program may dictate which building a student must attend as the particular program may not be available in all buildings.  The Northeastern Local School District shall not be required to institute any special education program solely for the purpose of serving open enrollment students.  Acceptance of special education students under open enrollment shall also be governed by minimum capacity limits established by the Ohio Department of Education.

E. Applications shall be considered on a first-come, first served (date of receipt) basis with an assurance that the following order for placement will be followed:

1. Native students will not be displaced;
2. Employee’s children as per Board policy.
3. Previously enrolled “Intra” open-enrollment students.
4. Previously enrolled new “Intra” open enrollment students/“Inter” open enrollment students who have not previously met the criteria for being considered a habitual truant while enrolled in the District.
5. First-time “Inter” open enrollment students.

F. Out-of-district students’ application shall be revoked in reverse order of acceptance (last in-first out), if enrollment, at any time, of a new Northeastern district resident student prior to the start of the school year, brings the enrollment of District students to optimum size.  However, non-resident students who have begun the program shall be allowed to complete the school year.

G. Students with discipline problems may be rejected for Inter-District transfer only if they have been suspended or expelled by the resident district for ten (10) or more consecutive days during the semester of application or the preceding semester.

H. There shall be no requirement of applicants regarding academic ability, athletic, artistic, or other extra-curricular skill, or any requirement that applicants be proficient in the English language.

I. Each principal shall notify the superintendent by May 10th of the programs and classrooms which have space available for adjacent-district students and tuition students.

J. Projected enrollment of Northeastern district resident students is to be determined by the respective principal no later that 
May 13th.

K. The parents of the out of-district student, as well as the superintendent of his/her home school, will be notified of their acceptance by the superintendent no later than July 3rd, except for kindergarten, which will be by August 10.

L. The District shall not discriminate against any disabled students (IDEA or 504).  The District shall not be required to provide any services or adapt any facilities not already provided disabled, resident native students.  If an out-of-district student becomes disabled under section 504 or the staff finds out that an out-of-district student is in need of services in accordance with an I.E.P., it will provide appropriate services.  The student, however, must agree to attend the District school at which the needed services are currently available.  If any services must be obtained elsewhere, the superintendent shall notify the respective district to determine if it wants to arrange for the services or have the District arrange for them at the respective district’s expense.

M. Applications of students who have met the criteria for being a habitual truant as defined by state law while enrolled in the District may be declined at the discretion of the District if the student applies for inter-district open enrollment in subsequent years.

A. WAITING LIST – Students whose applications are initially denied due to space limitations may request in writing to have their application placed on a waiting list.  Such applications shall have priority over any Inter-District Open Enrollment applications which might be filed following the standard application deadline.  Applications from this waiting list will also be processed in line with the first-come, first-served basis and priorities indicated above.  The Superintendent may approve open enrollment requests filed outside the application deadlines.

B. TRANSPORTATION – The Northeastern Local School District will provide transportation if space exists to open enrollment students only within the same manner and routes under which it transports its native students.  The transfer student’s family must provide for the transportation of the transfer students to an approved bus stop within the attendance area of the school the student would be attending.  Additionally, the transfer student’s family shall be responsible for the monitoring of that student’s safety and well-being while waiting for the bus to arrive in the morning, and after being dropped-off from the bus in the afternoon.

C. ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY – OHSAA Athletic eligibility guidelines will be in effect for a student in grades 7-12.  Any enrolled, out-of-district students who are eligible to participate in inter-scholastic athletics and have been released by their home district are to be informed they could lose their eligibility for an entire year if or when they return to the home district.  Students and parents are urged to become aware of and consider these athletic guidelines before submitting an application for Inter-District Open Enrollment.

D. STUDENT RECORDS – Students who have applied for or have been accepted in the Inter-District Open Enrollment program will have records that include the application, evidence of parental knowledge of the program’s policies and guidelines, and evidence of notification of parents included in the student’s file.  Upon approval of a student’s application, all school records for that student are to be forwarded to the school of attendance.