5000 Students

Placement of resident home-schooled students and students from non-accredited schools or programs who seek to be admitted or re-admitted to the District’s schools will be determined by the Principal who shall consult with members of the professional staff to the extent appropriate.  The Principal may direct that a test or tests be administered to help determine grade level.  In addition, the Principal is authorized to collect from parents/guardians actual samples of coursework as he/she deems necessary in order to make the determination that the requisite academic standards have been met.  The decision of the Principal may be appealed by the parent or guardian to the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee.  The decision of the Superintendent is final.

A home-schooled student or a student transferring from a non-accredited school or program seeking admission to a District school must meet all residency, age, health examination, immunization, and other eligibility prerequisites as mandated by State law and regulations.

(cf. 5111- Admissions)

(cf. 5122- Assigning Students to a teacher and Classes in Grades K-12)

(cf. 5123- Promotion Retention)

Legal Reference:   Connecticut General Statutes

          10-221(b) Boards of Education to prescribe rules

The Winchester Board of Education recognizes that students may benefit from having a choice of schools to attend within the public school system that is not limited by school and/or district boundaries.  An interdistrict public school attendance program will (1) provide parents and students with greater opportunities to choose the school and/or program that best meets the academic needs of the student; (2) positively influence the level of parent involvement and student motivation; (3) improve academic achievement;  and (4) provide a choice of educational programs for students.

The Board of Education supports the attendance of a limited number of students at the various magnet or similar schools in the region within the ability of the district to budget adequately for the cost of tuition and transportation.  The District will determine each year the budget for magnet school attendance.  To aid in the budget process the Superintendent will endeavor to determine the number of students who have expressed interest in applying for magnet school admission.  This might entail notice to all parents that there will be a cut-off date for indications of interest in a magnet school program.  Based on the level of interest expressed and the cost of the magnet school program the Superintendent shall include in his budget recommendation a dollar amount to be allocated towards the cost of magnet school participation.  That dollar amount may be zero or any amount up to and including the full cost of the magnet school participation for the students who have timely expressed interest in attending a magnet school.

During the budget process the Board of Education may elect to endorse the Superintendent’s recommendation or may mandate increases or decreases in the budgeted amount.  Following final adoption of a total budget the amount allocated to magnet school participation may be reduced to reflect budget cuts.  The Superintendent may allocate funds available to pay the costs of the magnet school for students who have been admitted to a magnet school.  The Superintendent shall use his or her judgment in allocating the funds, but shall generally give preference to students who timely indicated their interest in a magnet school.  The Superintendent may if the circumstances warrant allocate funds to a student who failed to indicate his or her preference in a timely fashion. With limited funds available the Superintendent may partially fund all students who expressed an interest in a timely manner.  Transportation ordinarily will not be funded by the District.

Definition.  A nonresident student is a student who:

resides outside of the school district; or

resides within the school district on a temporary basis; or

resides within the school district on a permanent basis but with pay to the person(s) with whom the student is living; or

resides within the school district for the sole purpose of obtaining school accommodations; or is

a child placed by the Commissioner of Children and Youth Services or by other agencies in a private residential facility.  However, under this circumstance, children may attend local schools with tuition paid by the home district unless special education considerations make attendance in local schools and programs inappropriate.  Children not requiring special education who live in town as a result of placement by a public agency (other than another board of education and except as provided otherwise in this paragraph) are resident students;  those requiring special education may attend local schools (with special education cost reimbursements in accordance with statutes) unless special education considerations make attendance in local schools and programs inappropriate.

Nonresident Attendance Without Tuition.  Upon written parental request, nonresident students may be allowed by the Board of Education to attend district schools without tuition under one or more of the following conditions:

A family moved from the district after January 1st of the school year; however, if parents so request, a child may complete the marking period regardless of when the family moves from town;

A family residing outside of a district has firm plans to move into the school district within the current school year as evidenced by contract to buy, build, rent, or lease;

A twelfth grade student wishes to complete his or her education in the district;

Children reside temporarily within the district because of family changes or children attending local schools residing temporarily outside of the district because of family circumstances.  Approval shall not exceed three (3) calendar months; if subsequent approval is necessary, it shall be considered based upon information available at that time.

Exchange Students.  No tuition is required for foreign (non-U.S.A., green card, or visa) students living within the district under the American Field Service Program or under other programs or circumstances approved by the board.  Exchange students will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a resident student during the period of enrollment.

Nonresident Attendance With Tuition.  Nonresident students who do not meet one or more criteria under previous sections of this policy, may attend local schools only with tuition payment.  The Board of Education may approve nonresident student attendance with tuition if class size, transportation, and other considerations permit.  Nonresident approval with tuition shall be for one (1) school year or less.  Tuition rates shall be established by the board annually.

Attendance by a nonresident tuition student may be terminated by board of education action, upon recommendation of the superintendent of schools, if the board deems such termination in the best interest of the school district.  An adjustment of tuition on a per diem basis will be made in this instance.

Evidence of Residency. The superintendent of schools or his/her designee may require documentation of family and/or student residency, including affidavits, provided that prior to a request for evidence of residency the parent or guardian, relative or non-relative, emancipated minor, or pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be provided with a written statement of why there is reason to believe such student’s may not be entitled to attend school in the district.

Removal of Nonresident Student From District Schools.  If after a careful review of affidavits, registration, or other available evidence, the superintendent of schools or his/her designee believes a student is not entitled to attend local schools, the parent or guardian, the student if an emancipated minor, or a pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be informed in writing that, as of a particular date, the student may no longer attend local schools, and the superintendent shall notify the board of education (if known) where the child should attend school.  If after review district residency is established by the evidence, the parent or guardian, the student if an emancipated minor, or a pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be so informed.

If a student is removed from a district school for residency reasons the superintendent of schools or his/her designee shall: 1) inform the parent, guardian, emancipated minor, or pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older of hearing rights before the board of education and that the student(s) may continue in local schools pending a hearing before the board of education if requested in writing by the parent, guardian, emancipated minor, or pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older;  2) that upon request, a transcript of the hearing will be provided;  3) that a local board of education decision may be appealed to the State Board and that the student(s) may continue in local schools pending a hearing before the State Board if requested in writing by the parent, guardian, emancipated minor, or pupil eighteen (18) years of age or older;   4) that if the appeal to the State Board of Education is lost, a per diem tuition will be assessed for each day a student attended local schools when not eligible to attend.

Board of Education Hearing.  Upon written request, the board of education shall provide a hearing within ten (10) days after receipt of such request.  If there is a hearing, the board shall make a stenographic record or tape recording of the hearing; shall make a decision on student eligibility to attend local schools within ten (10) days after the hearing;  and shall notify the parent, guardian, emancipated minor, or student eighteen (18) years of age or older of its findings.  Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 4-177 to 4-180 inclusive of Connecticut General Statutes.

The board shall, within ten (10) days after receipt of notice of an appeal, forward the hearing record to the State Board of Education.

Legal Reference:   Connecticut General Statutes

4-176e through 4-185 Uniform Administrative Procedure Act

10-186 Duties of local and regional boards of education re school attendance.  Hearings.  Appeals to state board.  Establishment of hearing board.

10-253 School privileges for students in certain placements…and temporary shelters.

The Board of Education believes that the use of psychotropic drugs by students is a personal decision to be made by a student’s parents or legal guardian.  Furthermore, state law prohibits school personnel from recommending the use of psychotropic drugs for any child. Consequently, school personnel shall not recommend the use of psychotropic drugs for any student.

This policy is not intended to prohibit school medical staff from recommending that a child be evaluated by an appropriate medical practitioner, nor does it prohibit school personnel from consulting with an appropriate medical practitioner with the consent of a student’s parents or guardian.

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall be responsible for the implementation of this policy and for ensuring its dissemination to school personnel.

Legal Reference:               Public Act No. SS 01-124

The Board of Education is dedicated to the best total and continuous development of each student enrolled in its schools. Therefore, the District will establish and maintain the highest standards required for each grade and monitor student performance in a continuous and systematic manner. The administration and faculty shall establish a system of grading and reporting academic achievement to students and their parents and guardians. The system shall also determine when promotion and graduation requirements are met. The decision to promote a student to the next grade level shall be based on demonstrated and assessed successful completion of the curriculum, attendance, performance on the statewide assessments and other testing instruments. Any necessary retention should take place as early in a student's educational career as possible.

Students shall be promoted on the basis of academic achievement. Students who, on the basis of objective measures of academic proficiency, can reasonably be expected to meet the instructional/learning objectives at the next educational level may be promoted.

The Board of Education shall approve the grading and reporting systems as developed by the administration and faculty upon the recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools.

The Board desires to minimize / eliminate the practice of promoting students to the next grade level for social reasons even though they are failing academically. The Board expects students to progress through each grade, usually within one school year. To accomplish this, instruction should accommodate the varying interests and growth patterns of individual students and include strategies for addressing academic deficiencies when needed. Students shall progress through the grade levels by demonstrating growth in learning and meeting; grade-level standards of expected student achievement. The student's readiness for work at the next grade level shall be required before he/she is promoted. Students who have mastered the appropriate skills will be promoted; those who have not will be retained.

Schools shall identify students in danger of failing and being at risk for retention. This identification shall also include those students who fail to meet the remedial standards of the statewide assessment programs. Prior to deciding on retention for a student not mastering the appropriate skills, the district shall provide and may require the student to attend one or more alternatives for remedial assistance. Opportunities, provided for supplemental and remedial instruction to assist the student in overcoming his/her academic deficiencies,
may include but are not limited to, after-school tutorial programs, Saturday
tutorial programs, summer school, Reading Recovery, instruction during school vacations or during week-end programs, cross-age tutoring or student mentoring.

In all cases of promotion or retention, the parent/guardian is to be fully involved and informed throughout the promotion/retention decision-making process. Parents will be notified as early as possible that retention is being considered and, except in very unusual circumstances, no later than March 15. The Parent in conjunction with the school shall be responsible for making the final decision as to retention and assignment.

(cf. 5124 - Reporting to Parents)

(cf. 6146 - Graduation Requirements) (cf. 6146.1 - Grading System)

LEGAL REFERENCE: Connecticut General Statutes

P.A. 99-288 An Act Concerning Education Accountability

10-221(b) Boards of education to prescribe rules.

10-265g Summer reading programs required for priority school districts. Evaluation of student reading level. Personal reading plans. (as amended by PA 01-173 and PA 06-135)

10-265l Requirements for additional instruction for poor performing students in priority school districts; exemption. Summer school required; exemption (as amended by PA 99-288, PA 01-173, PA 03-174 and PA 06-135)