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3110 - Qualifications of Attendance and Placement

BOARD POLICY No. 3110

QUALIFICATIONS OF ATTENDANCE AND PLACEMENT

Age of Admission

Attending the schools of the district shall be recognized as a right and responsibility for those who meet the requirements prescribed by law. Every resident of the district who satisfies the minimum entry age requirement and is less than 21 years of age has the right to attend the district's schools until he/she completes high school graduation requirements. Children of at least age 8 and less than age 18 are required by law to attend a public school, an approved private school or educational center, unless they are receiving approved home based instruction. Under certain circumstances children who are at least 16 and less than 18 years of age may be excused from further attendance at school. The superintendent shall exercise his/her authority to grant excep­tions when he/she determines that the student:

A.     Is lawfully and regularly employed, and has permission of a parent/guardian, or is emancipated pursuant to Chapter 13.64 RCW, or

B.     Is subject to one of the other exceptions to compulsory attendance.

A resident student who has been granted an exception retains the right to enroll as a part‑time student and shall be entitled to take any course, receive any ancillary services and take or receive any combination of courses and ancillary services which are offered by a public school to full‑time students.

Entrance Qualifications

To be admitted to a kindergarten program which commences in the fall of the year a child must be not less than 5 years of age prior to September l of that school year. To be admitted to a first grade program which commences in the fall of the year a child must be not less than 6 years of age prior to September l of that school year. Any student not otherwise eligible for entry to the first grade who has successfully completed a state approved kindergarten program of 1000 or more hours including instruction consistent with Washington State Learning Standards and other subjects that the district determines are appropriate will be permitted entry into the first-grade program. If necessary, the student may be placed in a temporary classroom assignment for the purposes of evaluation prior to making a final determination of the student’s appropriate placement. Such determination will be made no later than the 30th calendar day following the student's first day of attendance.

Exemptions for Early Entrance

Special exemptions may be made for younger pupils who appear to be sufficiently advanced to succeed in the educational program. The superintendent will identify screening processes and instruments that provide reliable estimates of the child’s skills and abilities, develop procedures for implementing this policy and establish fees to cover actual expenses incurred in the administration of preadmission screening processes. The district will provide a fee waiver or a reduction in fees for low income students whose parents are unable to pay the full cost of preadmission screening.

Transitional Kindergarten

The transitional kindergarten (TK) program is primarily for four-year-old resident students who demonstrate a need or otherwise do not have access to high-quality early learning experiences prior to kindergarten. Eligible students must be 4 years old by August 31 to participate. Students who are 5 years old August 31 must be enrolled in the traditional kindergarten program.

A screening process is used to help identify students who demonstrate a need of additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten the following year. Additionally, students who otherwise may not demonstrate a need or lack access, but whose families wish to participate, may do so through a space-available, tuition-based process.

Admission of Students Aged Twenty‑One or Older

A student aged 21 or older may enroll in a school in the district under the following conditions:

A.     There is available space in the school and program which the student shall attend;

B.     Tuition is prepaid;

C.     The student provides his/her own transportation;

D.     The student resides in the state of Washington; and

E.      In the judgment of the superintendent, no adult education program is available at reasonable costs and the district's program is appropriate to the needs of the student.

Placement of Students on Admission

The decision of where to place a student seeking admission to the district rests with the principal. Generally, students meeting the age of admission requirements or transferring from a public or approved private school shall be placed in kindergarten or first grade, or the grade from which they transferred. The principal shall evaluate the educational record and assessments of all other students to determine their appropriate placement. A temporary classroom assignment may be made for no more than thirty calendar days for the purpose of evaluation prior to making the final placement decision.

 

Cross References:

Board Policy 2100 - Education Opportunities for Military Children

Board Policy 2108 - Special Programs

Board Policy 2121 - Substance Abuse Program

Board Policy 2140 - Guidance and Counseling

Board Policy 3114 - Part-time, Home-based, or Off-campus Students

Board Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences

Board Policy 4220 - Complaints Concerning Staff or Programs

Legal References:

RCW 28A.225.010     Attendance mandatory--Age--Person having custody shall cause child to attend public school ‑‑ When excused

RCW 28A.225.020     School's duties upon juvenile's failure to attend school

RCW 28A.225.160     Attendance age eligibility

RCW 28A.225.220     Adults, children from other districts, agreements for attending school--Tuition

WAC 180‑39  Uniform Entry Qualifications

WAC 392‑134‑010     Attendance rights of part‑time public school students

WAC 392‑137District policies--Procedures and criteria for release of resident students and admission of nonresident students

WAC 392-335            Pupils - Uniform Entry Qualifications

Adopted: July 16, 2002

Revised: March 17, 2020

WALLA WALLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS • 364 South Park St. • Walla Walla, WA 99362 • Phone: 509-527-3000 • Fax: 509.529.7713

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