SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDELINES
The NEISD complies with the Texas Education Code Chapter 25, Admission, Transfer, and Attendance and Chapter 26, Parental Rights and Responsibilities.
Annually, the Office of Planning will establish the number of available seats for each school/grade level for all schools based on the projected enrollment, the core and classroom capacity, District and State mandated staffing ratios, the growth rate for each school, and other critical factors that may arise such as construction or above average growth potential. Each school’s attendance area residents will be given enrollment priority.
Parents/Guardians desiring to transfer their child must request the transfer on a School Choice Transfer form obtained at the home campus or any North East ISD school. School Choice forms will be available prior to the first business day of January through the last business day of February of the current school year. Applications may be submitted at 7:20 a.m. on the first school business day of January through the last school business day of February. The request submitted during this time will be for the following school year. Each form submitted to a campus will be stamped with the date and time it was received by the District. All applications will be on a “first-come-first-serve” basis using the date and time the application was received. Parents/Guardians will be notified of their child’s school choice status. Parents can submit only one school choice application for each child. No provisions are made for siblings. A separate application is required for each student.
If school choice requests exceed the available seats at a school/grade, applicants will be approved and placed on a waiting list for the school/grade requested. Each student may file for only one School Choice transfer per year and can be on only one waiting list at a time. Parents/Guardians of applicants placed on a waiting list may be contacted by school personnel at the end of the first two weeks of school or at the end of each nine-week grading period, if seats are available, with an offer to move their child to their school of choice. Once an offer has been made to move to the school of choice campus, the student’s name will be removed from the waiting list regardless whether the offer is accepted or not. If the student’s name has been removed from a waiting list, the parent will need to reapply during the next application period.
The parent/guardian will not need to reapply each year if student is approved for enrollment or placed on a waiting list for the requested school of choice. If the student is moving from Elementary School to Middle School or Middle School to High School, a new school choice request is required.
Due to student population growth some schools may be capped or may become capped. If a capped school is requested through the School Choice process the child’s name will be put on the Wait List on school choice status. The names of children on the Wait List on school choice status will be after all names of students on Overflow status.(For a list of capped schools, visit the Boundaries and Maps page.)
Services such as GT, bilingual, dual language, etc. will not be added or expanded to accommodate students transferring through School Choice. Parents/Guardians, whose students are currently in a clustered program, such as the bilingual program, should consider applying for a School Choice transfer, during the timeline outlined above, in anticipation of exit notification (being sent back to their home campus).
Special education students’ School Choice requests are considered using the same procedures as all other students. Final determination of a School Choice transfer will be dependent upon the availability of the required services at the requested school. Special Education services will not be added or expanded to a campus to meet the needs of a School Choice transfer student.
Parents/Guardians may terminate School Choice or remove their child’s name from the waiting list at any time. Should the student’s home campus have no seats at the time of the termination, the student will be overflowed to another school, and the student’s name will be added to the waiting list for the home campus in the prioritized manner established by the District.
A student may have the School Choice transfer revoked or blocked by the principal if the student does not follow the rules and regulations of the school. The following reasons are justification for rescinding the School Choice transfers:
- Excessive tardiness/absences
- Excessive discipline problems
- Major violations of the Student Code of Conduct
- Failing grades for the semester
- Parent/Guardian requests that the transfer be rescinded
- Lack of parent/guardian cooperation with school policies or procedures
Students enrolled under the School Choice option MUST reside in NEISD and will be required to show proof of residency. Transportation will not be provided and is the responsibility of the parents for students on School Choice transfers.
For University Interscholastic League (UIL) purposes the student must meet all UIL criteria. Students accepted for School Choice transfer will be ineligible for varsity competition for one calendar year. However, the student may apply to the UIL for a waiver, but is not guaranteed that such waiver will be granted. The student and/or parents are advised to check with the North East ISD athletic office for advice regarding the waiver process.
Recruiting of students is strictly prohibited.
For extra-curricular activities the student must meet UIL criteria. Students who are members of organizations in the school they are leaving will be eligible to participate on a space-available basis at the transfer school. Students accepted for School Choice transfer will not be eligible for varsity competition for one calendar year. However, the student may apply to the UIL for a waiver but is not guaranteed that such waiver will be granted.
(Revised June 2012)
Actions by the Board of Trustees or administrative decisions may supersede any or all portions of the school choice guidelines.
For more information, contact Pupil Personnel Services at (210) 407-0070.