JC/JCA
Brockton Public Schools
School Committee Policy
ATTENDANCE AREAS AND SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS
1. SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT POLICY
The Brockton School Committee is committed to equitable access and racial fairness in all
schools and programs under its jurisdiction. In accord with its commitment, the School
Committee has adopted policies that are intended to
a. Maximize parent and student choice for school enrollment
b. Achieve a consistent class size distribution across individual schools and grades,
c. Promote racial balance and diversified student bodies in all kindergartens, elementary
schools, junior high schools, and academic houses at Brockton High School.
2. SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS
a. Kindergarten:
1)
Kindergarten children enrolling for attendance in kindergarten centers will be
assigned to schools based on their residence or day care address. Annually,
based on enrollments, projected racial balance and available locations, the
School Department will establish school boundaries for designated
kindergarten centers.
2)
Kindergarten children seeking enrollment in full-day kindergarten classes will
be assigned according to the elementary controlled-choice school assignment
policy.
b. Elementary School:
Assignments to elementary schools are made according to the controlled-choice
school assignment policy.
c. Junior High School:
Assignments to junior high schools are made according to the controlled-choice school
assignment policy.
d. High School:
Assignments to individual academic houses within Brockton High School will be
made in a manner that ensures that the composition of each house reflects the
racial/ethnic student body make-up of the school in its entirety.
3. CONTROLLED-CHOICE SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT POLICY
a.
Attendance Zones
1) The controlled-choice student assignment policy combines the school system's
former (1995) elementary and junior high school areas into two larger geographic
attendance zones with a diagonal boundary. The two zones, each linking
contiguous north/south sections of the city, are intended to be similar in size and
student enrollment, to be equivalent in the range and quality of school choices
available to students, and to serve student populations that reflect the racial, ethnic
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and socioeconomic characteristics of the school system as a whole. As new zone
and citywide schools open, the schools are assigned north, south or citywide status
as may be required to maintain zone equivalence.
2) The controlled-choice school assignment policy applies to all grade 1-8 school
assignments and to the placement of kindergarten pupils seeking enrollment in
full-day kindergarten classes.
3) Within each zone parents of elementary students select schools of attendance in
order of preference. Parents residing in either zone may select schools designated
as citywide. Assignments are subject to timely registration, space availability and
racial fairness guidelines.
4) Parents of junior high students select desired schools of attendance in order of
preference. Available selections include schools within the student's attendance
zone, schools designated as a citywide or out of attendance zone schools. If the
selected attendance zone schools are oversubscribed, students may be assigned to
any school within a School Committee defined walking distance. Assignments are
subject to timely registration, space availability and racial fairness guidelines.
b. Administration of Controlled-Choice School Assignments
Enrolling grade 1-8 students and administering the controlled-choice assignment
policy is the responsibility of the School Registration and Parent Information Center.
The center conducts school tours and other parent outreach activities in individual
schools. Services provided include dissemination of accurate and timely information
regarding the school choice and application process; implementing student assignment
procedures; developing school profiles and other information necessary for parents to
make informed school choices; parent education and training workshops in such areas
as curriculum and program objectives, student discipline, technology awareness, home
tutoring, parent leadership and advocacy skill-building.
c. Bilingual Student Assignments
Students whose primary language is not English and are identified as eligible for
bilingual education services will be assigned to a school that provides these services.
Based on seat availability, bilingual students will be given a choice of schools that
provide either Transitional Bilingual Education or English as a Second Language
(ESL) classes for their primary language group.
d. Special Education Students Assignments
In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act the educational
placement of a special needs student is determined by the student's individual
education planning team and cannot be unilaterally determined by the parents.
Students who have been identified as requiring special education services will be
assigned only to those schools containing the special education program required by
their IEP (Individual Educational Plan). Special needs students may also apply to
attend schools offering an inclusive special education/regular program provided that
the program meets the requirements of their IEP.
e. School Choice Transportation
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The School Committee will make every effort to provide transportation within each
zone for all students who reside beyond the walk zone of their assigned school. A
walk zone is defined by the School Committee policy on transportation eligibility.
f. Racial Fairness Guidelines
Assignments to schools and programs will be available to minority and non-minority
students on the basis of their actual proportion in each grade. An elementary school
will be considered racially balanced when its student body is within ten points of the
percentage of minority and non-minority students in grades 1-6. A junior high school
will be considered racially balanced when its student body is within five points of the
percentage of minority and non-minority students in grades 7 and 8. A citywide
program will be considered racially balanced when its student body is within five
points of the citywide percentage of minority and non-minority students in the grades
served by the program.
g. Sibling Preference
Students who have a brother or sister already enrolled in their first-choice school
within their zone in the same school year during which they seek admission will be
assigned to that school. Such assignments will be made before any other students are
assigned, provided that the parents submit a timely and complete school choice
application form.
h. Proximity-to-School Preference
Students within each attendance zone will be given proximity-to-school preference.
Students who reside within the walk zone of their first-choice school will be assigned
to that school before applicants who reside beyond the school's walk-zone. The
assignment preference of students who live closest to their first choice school will be
subject to racial fairness guidelines and timely registration.
i. Lottery Assignments
In the event that the number of controlled-choice school applicants exceeds the
number of available seats for non-minority and/or minority applicants, the over chosen
seats will be filled by lottery within racial fairness guidelines.
j. Mandatory Assignments
In the event that a student cannot be assigned to a selected school, the student will be
assigned to a school within his/her zone that is nearest to the student's home and has
available space for that particular racial group.
k. Waiting Lists
All students who do not receive their first-choice school will be placed on a waiting
list for that school. Students who receive mandatory assignments will be placed on a
waiting list for their first and second-choice schools. Waiting lists will be cleared
when space becomes available and will be subject to racial fairness guidelines. Parents
who decline the opportunity to be moved when a seat becomes available in a firstchoice school will be removed from the list.
l. Requests for Within-the-Zone Transfers
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Transfers will be allowed at the end of the school year based on timely requests, space
availability and racial fairness guidelines.
m. Requests For Transfers to Out-of Zone Schools
Requests will be considered only if there is seats unfilled by students from within the
attendance zone and will be subject to racial fairness guidelines. Transportation to out
of zone schools will not be provided.
n. Change of Home Address
1)
Students who move to a new address within an attendance zone will be
allowed to continue in their present school until they complete the school's
highest grade. Transportation will be provided subject to availability.
2)
Students who move into another zone during the school year will be allowed to
remain in their present school until the end of the school year. Transportation
will not be provided. Students will be required to register for a new school
assignment in their new zone prior to the beginning of the new school year.
o. Review of Assignments
Within 90 days after kindergarten parents select grade one schools and grade six
parents select grade seven schools, the Superintendent will report to the School
Committee on the extent to which the assignments conform to the goals of the
controlled-choice school assignment policy.
p. Appeals
The Superintendent shall establish a process for appealing assignments made under the
controlled-choice school assignment policy. Decisions rendered through the appeals
process are final.
q. Amendment Process
The School Committee's policy regarding school assignments is based on the
Brockton's state-approved Long-Range Voluntary Desegregation and Educational
Equity Plan (1995) and is designed to be responsive to changing demographic and
educational conditions in the Brockton Public Schools. No amendment that may have
an impact on the legal and funding basis of the plan, and/or that may substantially alter
the plan's organizational and educational framework will be implemented without a
public hearing and review by the Massachusetts Department of Education.
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