Choice enrollment applications will be sorted based on pre-determined priority groups, and then it will be first-come, first-served lottery through those priority groups. 

Applications for choice enrollment are available beginning in the fall at all schools and on the district website in accordance with the schedule described below. Choice enrollment forms can be submitted in early January, immediately following winter break, with a deadline of January 31. The application deadline for the first round application period shall be the last school day in the month of January with respect to enrollment consideration for the following school year. The requested school shall notify the applicant no later than the second Friday in the month of February regarding the status of the request. Applications for the second round must be submitted between the second Friday in the month of February and the last school day in the month of August. Applicants may apply to multiple schools

• Choice Enrollment Round 1: January 8, 2018 – January 31, 2018
• Choice Enrollment Round 2: February 9, 2018 – August 31, 2018

Applications during the second round application period shall be approved or waitlisted solely on a "first-come, first-served" basis, as specified in this policy. If space is not available to accommodate applicants in the second round, applicants are placed on the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. Second round waitlist applicants are added to the end of any existing first round applicant waitlists.

Each school will have no more than one waitlist for each grade level and/or program. Each school’s waitlist for a given school year stays in effect through "October count" of the current school year of the year for which enrollment is sought. Vacancies shall be filled from the list, strictly adhering to rank order, through the last school day in August. Requests for a change in school assignment after the last school day in August will be granted through the administrative transfer process according to the waitlist.

A student admitted through the district’s choice process (first or second round) shall be allowed to stay at the choice school for all remaining grade levels served by that school, subject to the terms of this policy.

In the event that any information is falsified or withheld from the district in connection with the choice enrollment process, any approval for admission and continued enrollment may be immediately withdrawn.

If a choice applicant is not approved for a given school year or the student withdraws from their choice school during the school year, the student must reapply under the choice enrollment process if admission is desired for the following year.

A choice enrollment or administrative transfer granted to one child in a family will not necessarily support the choice enrollment or administrative transfer of another child in the same family.

Under no circumstances shall choice enrollment be granted for a school year after the last school day in August of that year.

APPLICATIONS 
Applicants may apply for enrollment in any school with appropriate grade levels and programs, and must submit their application directly to their school of choice. The school shall mark completed applications received by the deadline unless the school accepts electronic applications for which the date/time stamp will be used.

SIBLINGS
Applications for siblings applying together should be submitted at the same time during the first round application period if it is desired that they attend the same school. Each sibling applicant in the first round application period shall be assigned the appropriate priority group and given a randomly assigned number. If one of the siblings becomes enrolled, the other sibling(s) for whom application(s) were submitted shall then be promoted to the top of their assigned priority group(s) and behind any other siblings on the applicable waitlist. During the second round application period, sibling applicants will be enrolled or added to the already established waitlist (if applicable) solely on a “first come, first serve” basis, depending on space availability at each grade level.

CHANGES IN RESIDENCE
Students who become nonresidents of Jefferson County after enrollment or between school years shall be allowed to remain enrolled in their current school in the district in accordance with state law for only that school year. If the student would like to continue to attend in subsequent years, the student must apply via the choice enrollment process.

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation for resident students granted permission to attend a school or program outside their neighborhood attendance area shall be furnished by their parents unless it is determined that transportation is necessary for the district to comply with the requirements of state or federal law concerning homeless students and students with a disability. If space is available in district buses and a student desires to utilize existing school bus routes/stops without modifications, parents should request transportation from the director of the appropriate transportation facility. By mutual agreement, the transportation director/designee and school administration may grant temporary permission for choice enrolled students to ride a bus.

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
Requests from the parent/guardian of special education students for choice enrollment to another school or program shall be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. The student’s current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) shall be used by the requested school or program to determine if the school can meet the student's needs.

The district reserves the right to rescind and/or amend a student’s school assignment, including reassigning students to other schools, if it determines:

• that there is overcrowding of facilities as determined by district administration,

• the school discontinues a particular program or cannot continue to meet the special needs of a student as defined by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP),

• the student no longer satisfies the eligibility criteria or level of performance required by the school or program as published by the school for all students enrolled in the program,

• that any information is falsified or withheld from the district in connection with the choice enrollment process

• or for other reasons authorized by law and considered by the district to be in the best interest of the student and/or the school, including the grounds for denial of admission set forth below.

Articulation areas may adopt temporary rules governing choice enrollments to accommodate the opening of new schools, the closing of schools, the changing of boundaries or grade levels, or the management of residential growth. The superintendent or designee must approve those temporary rules.

Per Colorado Statute:

(3) Any school district may deny any of its resident pupils or any nonresident pupils from other school districts within the state permission to enroll in particular programs or schools within such school district only for any of the following reasons:

(a) There is a lack of space or teaching staff within a particular program or school requested, in which case, priority shall be given to resident students applying for admission to such program or school.

GROUNDS FOR DENIAL OF ADMISSION
The following are grounds for denial of admission to students requesting choice enrollment:

1. There is a lack of space or teaching staff within a particular program or school requested, in which case priority shall be given to resident students applying for admission to such program or school.

2. The school requested does not offer appropriate programs or is not structured or equipped with the necessary facilities to meet special needs of the student as defined in the IEP.

3. The student does not meet the established eligibility criteria for participating in a particular program, including but not limited to age requirements, course prerequisites, and required levels of performance, as outlined and published by the school for all students in the program.

4. The student has been expelled from any school district during the preceding 12 months, or has engaged in behavior in another school district during the preceding 12 months that is detrimental to the welfare or safety of other students or of school personnel.

5. The student has graduated from the twelfth grade of any school or is in receipt of a document evidencing completion of the equivalent of a secondary curriculum.

FIRST ROUND APPLICATION PERIOD
The first round choice application deadline is the last school day in January. Steps listed below explain the process followed in each school. 

Step 1: Determining Space and Program Availability 
The school shall review its space and programs available at each grade level. Based on this review, the principal and achievement director, or charter school board of directors, shall determine the number of spaces available for choice enrollment.

Space availability for a particular school or program shall be determined by the school principal, utilizing current information about district class size guidelines, enrollment projections, projected return rate of current students, anticipated attrition, and programmatic desires. Schools that are using temporary classrooms shall consider the requirements set forth in district policy FCC (Relocatable School Facilities) and associated administrative regulation FCC-R before accepting students for choice enrollment. Charter schools will follow their board policies in setting space availability.

Step 2: Prioritizing Applicants
Enrollment shall be guaranteed for:

• Applicants who, for various reasons, have a new designated neighborhood school and wish to remain at their prior designated neighborhood school if space is available after the enrollment of all designated students.

• Applicants to Ralston Valley High School who are actively attending Coal Creek Canyon K-8 in the school year immediately preceding 9th grade.

• Applicants who wish to attend their designated neighborhood school.

Special and option schools may have enrollment policies approved by the district and published in their school policies. Applicants are encouraged to call and review the choice application process for any district special school or option school. Please closely review the policies identified by these schools prior to submitting your application. For each applicant, the school shall then determine the appropriate priority group and assign a random lottery number. Priority groups are listed below in the order of highest priority to lowest priority:

1. Students who reside in Jefferson County, AND have a sibling who is currently attending the school for which the application is submitted and the sibling will attend that school the following school year.

2. Students who reside in Jefferson County, AND they are the child of a full-time staff member at the school for which enrollment is sought.

3. Students who reside in Jefferson County, AND they are attending, as a choice enrollment student, a designated neighborhood school which feeds into the school for which choice enrollment is sought.

4. Students who reside in Jefferson County.

5. Students who do not reside in Jefferson County, BUT have a sibling who is currently attending and will attend the school the following school year.

6. Students who do not reside in Jefferson County, BUT they are a child of a full-time staff member at the school for which enrollment is sought.

7. Students who do not reside in Jefferson County, AND they are attending, as a choice enrollment student, a designated neighborhood school which feeds into the school for which choice enrollment is sought.

8. Students who do not reside in Jefferson County.

Step 3: Determining Student Eligibility 
The school shall determine for each applicant:

1. Whether the applicant meets established eligibility criteria for enrollment in the school and/or participation in a particular program that has been requested, including but not limited to residence address, age requirements, course prerequisites, and required levels of performance, as outlined and published by the school which apply to all students in attendance;

2. Whether the applicant has been expelled or is in the process of being expelled as a habitually disruptive student or for a serious violation in a school building or in or on school property; and

3. Whether other grounds exist for denial of admission under this policy, or governing law.

Step 4: Conditional Offer 
Eligible applicants at each grade level shall be placed where space is available according to their priority group listed in step 2, and their assigned random lottery number. When space is not available, one waitlist per grade and/or program will be established according to each student’s assigned priority group and random number. The waitlist will stay in effect through "October count' of the year for which enrollment is sought, and vacancies shall be filled from the list, in order. If waitlisted applicants are not offered enrollment by "October count" of the current school year and wish to attend the school in the next year, they must reapply under the choice enrollment process for the following year.

Step 5: Notifying Applicants
For the first round application period, the school shall provide notification of each student’s lottery outcome (conditionally accepted or waitlisted) by the second Friday in February. Applicants not offered enrollment at the school during the first round shall automatically be placed on the waitlist and shall have priority over those applicants who apply during the second round. If an opening becomes available, applicants shall be notified regarding the opening and will be given a finite amount of time in which to accept or decline the offer (1-3 days is standard). If declined by the parent/guardian, the student will be removed from the waitlist and will no longer be considered for enrollment for that school year.

Step 6: Conditional Acceptance 
The applicant must respond to the school within the stated timeframe (1-3 days is standard) to confirm whether the student is accepting the conditional offer to enroll. Applicants who do not respond within the stated timeframe may be considered automatic “declines”.

With respect to students receiving special education services, the school will review the student’s IEP to ensure that appropriate programming, teaching staff, and facilities are available at the school to meet the student’s needs as set forth in the IEP. A school cannot add resources to implement a student’s IEP, and therefore, the school may rescind a conditional offer of acceptance if the school lacks the resources or space available to support the individual choice applicant.