Policy 5116 - School Attendance Areas

School Attendance Areas

It shall be the intention of the Board of Education to establish and maintain schools that are sufficient in number, size, mode of operations, and location to provide instructional services that are proximate and convenient to the pupils of the district. The Superintendent shall establish attendance areas by grade level within the district and, space permitting, students shall attend the school in the attendance area that serves the area in which the parent(s) or legal guardian resides. The legal residence of the parent(s) or legal guardian determines entrance into an elementary, middle, or high school.

The Board of Education shall regularly review school attendance boundaries, school capacities and enrollment data, geographic features, student safety, transportation, racial/ethnic balance and educational programs and community input.

The Board of Education intends to provide an equal educational opportunity for each student in the district as it relates to the availability of classroom space. The impact of pupil growth is a district-wide phenomenon and, although local attendance areas are established to maintain neighborhood schools, the housing resources of the district shall be equitably distributed between all pupils. Toward this end, it may be necessary to enroll students in schools outside their regular school attendance area in order to alleviate overcrowding. If available, transportation will be provided for such students.

Exceptions may be granted by the Superintendent or his/her designee upon request for an Intra-district Open Enrollment Agreement to attend another school in the district where space is available by the parent(s) or legal guardian as provided by the Intra-district Open Enrollment policy.

Rule 5116

Rule Approved 05/11/1967
Last Revised 12/09/2008

As school capacities are modified, or new schools are constructed, creation of new attendance boundaries and adjustments to existing school attendance area boundaries may be necessary. In times of economic uncertainty, the creation of new attendance boundaries may be necessary to address the consolidation or closure of schools.

• Appropriate attendance area options will be identified by staff. The process shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of the following: the number of students currently residing, and projected to reside, in the affected areas; existing and new school capacities; neighborhoods; geographic considerations; transportation distances; ethnic balance; and educational programs.
• Draft options shall be presented to the Board of Education at a public session.
• Upon authorization of the Board, the options shall be presented to the public at open forums. Issues raised by the public shall be considered by staff in developing recommendations for Board consideration.
• Except where there are minor adjustments, which can be accomplished administratively, all school attendance area boundary changes shall be finally approved by the Board of Education.

Parents of children residing within the possible adjusted school attendance areas shall be notified of all possible changes at least three months prior to the date of implementation of the possible change.

There can be only one legal residence. Legal residence includes pupils placed in a regularly established licensed children’s institution, or a licensed foster home, or a family home; however, this does not include childcare providers.

Students residing in a community facilities district shall have priority, to the extent provided by law, for attendance at schools financed in whole or in part by the community facilities district. Once the school year has begun, new students will be enrolled as space is available. If there is not space in the appropriate grade, a student will be housed at another school in the district for the remainder of the school year and returned to their attendance area school at the beginning of the new school year. If a space becomes available during the school year the child will be returned upon parent request.

Students in Lodi Unified School District may attend a school outside their attendance area of residence if space is available. An Intra-district Open

Enrollment Agreement may be requested by the parent or legal guardian for the following school year if submitted before February 1 for the following school year. Refer to Policy 5116.1 “Intra-district Open Enrollment.”