Toolkit: How to Apply for an Interdistrict Transfer
When a student is struggling in their neighborhood public school, families have the option of an interdistrict transfer. An interdistrict is the transfer of a student’s enrollment from one school district to another. Interdistrict transfers help families pursue the educational opportunities best for their children without having to move to another district, switch to homeschooling or pay for private school.
Families seek interdistrict transfers for many different reasons, including to: escape a low-performing school, improve a student’s poor academic performance, ensure student safety, or access special needs support, to name a few. Other common reasons for requesting an interdistrict transfer are to allow a student to continue to attend his or her school after the family moves; to enable siblings to attend school in the same district; or so a student can attend school where a caregiver (such as a grandparent) lives or where a parent’s workplace is located.
California’s Constitution guarantees a free education to any student who resides in the state. However, this guarantee only extends to the district attendance area in which a student resides. Under the law, a student is not guaranteed enrollment at a particular school site or district other than the one in which he or she lives. This is why a family must apply to switch school districts.
When it comes to obtaining an interdistrict transfer, both the student’s current school district and receiving district must approve the student’s transfer request. Obtaining this approval, however, can pose a challenge for families, since the success of their request is contingent upon two districts’ consent. Generally, individual school districts have the authority to write their own interdistrict transfer policies, although some school districts do little to make the process easy for parents. That’s why it’s important for parents to understand their rights and the process for applying for an interdistrict transfer.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply for an Interdistrict Transfer
To begin the interdistrict transfer request process, start by looking up the interdistrict transfer resources for both your current school district and the district you wish to transfer to. As of 2019, California law (AB 2826) requires school districts to post their interdistrict transfer policies, procedures, and timelines on their websites.
Once you’ve located this information, make note of the following:
When interdistrict transfer application periods open
Deadlines for filing requests
Whether your request must be granted by the receiving district before submitting a transfer request to your current district
List(s) of transfer reasons your current and receiving districts recognize as valid
Any supplemental documents you might need to provide, such as report cards, attendance reports, affidavits concerning the location of a caregiver(s) residence, physician or therapist letters, and/or administrative recommendation forms
Whether the district(s) have limits on the validity of transfer permits; State law says that transfer permits are valid for up to five years, but districts can shorten this duration at their discretion. Some districts require a new transfer request to be submitted each year, so be sure to check your current and receiving districts’ policies.
If one or both districts deny an interdistrict transfer request, families have the option to appeal the decision. Your district should provide the contact information for individuals or offices that handle interdistrict transfer appeals. Once you’ve exhausted any appeal options within the district, you have the right to appeal your case to your County Board of Education. Make sure that you don’t appeal to your County Board unless you’ve completed the district’s appeal process.
Unfortunately, many parents give up if their appeal is turned down at their district because they don’t realize they can appeal to the County Board of Education. But parents can and should continue the appeal process.
When making an appeal to your County Board of Education, make note of any appeal deadlines; your county might require you to file an appeal within 30 days from the district’s denial of your appeal. It’s not guaranteed that your County Board of Education will consider your appeal. However, if they do, they will hold a hearing where the parents (or person with custody of the student) and district(s) can present their cases. The student as well as other advocates for the student may also attend and speak at the hearing. In your county, you might have a choice between a public or confidential hearing.
It’s important to be well-prepared for this hearing, since the hearing will guide the County Board’s decision about whether to grant or deny the transfer. To prepare for the hearing, be sure to write down what you want to say ahead of time, and be ready to answer questions about why you’re seeking the transfer.
You will generally receive notice of whether the County Board has denied or granted the transfer within 30 days after the district hearing. However, boards are able to extend this period of time with good cause as needed to consider and review the transfer request.
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While applying for an interdistrict transfer may sound daunting, don’t let it intimidate you. If an interdistrict transfer is what’s best for your child, take the process one step at a time. It may help to consult fellow parents who were granted transfers to ask if they have any advice about the process. Ultimately, parents are the best advocates for their children. By understanding the interdistrict transfer process, parents can be better equipped to help move their child to a school that best fits their individual needs.