Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, students will only be allowed to attend the school district in which the student resides. A parent or legal guardian with legal authority to make decisions regarding the education of a student (hereinafter “Parent”) may apply for a tuition transfer to attend a school outside the district for which the student is zoned by using the online application established by the Transfer Review Committee, provided, however, that a Parent may only apply for a transfer to the closest neighboring school district, which shall be determined based on the distance between the location of the high school in that district and the student’s residence. All tuition-based transfers for students residing in St. Clair County shall be subject to a tuition of $1,500.00 per student per academic year, or $800.00 per academic semester, which tuition amounts are non-refundable. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, Student Hardship Transfers (as set forth below) shall take priority over any tuition-based transfers.
Student transfers shall only be allowed to schools that have student capacity as determined in the sole discretion of school administration. If transfer requests exceed student capacity at a respective school, a lottery shall be used by the Transfer Review Committee to select any eligible tuition-based transfer students. All requests for student transfers must be received by May 1st. If a student is accepted for a transfer, the entire annual tuition of $1,500.00 or the first semester payment of $800.00 is due on or before June 1st, and the second semester payment of $800.00 is due on or before November 1st. All tuition payments must be made by cash or certified funds (Cashiers Check, Debit or Credit Cards) to the St. Clair County Board of Education at its Central Office located at 410 Roy Drive, Ashville, AL 35953. NO PERSONAL CHECKS will be accepted. Students who fail to pay their tuition payments in accordance with the deadlines set forth herein shall lose their transfer approval and another eligible student on the transfer waiting list will be selected. A student selected for transfer from the transfer waiting list shall have five (5) days from notification of the approval of his or her transfer request to pay the tuition set forth above.
The Transfer Review Committee’s approval of any student transfer is valid for only the academic year for which it is approved. A Parent must apply for a student transfer each academic year if the Parent desires for the student to attend a school outside the district for which the student is zoned. If a student was chosen for transfer during the immediately preceding school year, the student will receive priority from the Transfer Review Committee to continue the student’s transfer status as long as: 1) there is space available in the transfer school for out-of-district students, 2) the Parent timely applies for a transfer and timely pays all transfer fees, and 3) the student maintains good academic and behavior standing in the transfer school. All transfers are subject to school capacity. If schools are at capacity or overcrowded, all capacity shall be limited and reserved for students residing in that school district. If space available for transfer students is reduced in any academic year due to overcrowded conditions such that there is not sufficient capacity to accept all students approved for transfer to a particular school in the immediately preceding academic year, then a lottery shall be used by the Transfer Review Committee to select the eligible transfer students from the list of previously-approved students.
Transfer students must adhere to all rules and regulations set forth by the Student Code of Conduct. Transfer students must also remain in good academic standing, including, but not limited to, good grades, attendance, and behavior. A student’s transfer approval may be revoked by the Transfer Review Committee for failure to comply with this policy. If a student’s transfer status is revoked, the student shall return to the school for which the student is zoned to attend, and the student’s tuition shall be forfeited and non-refundable.
Nothing contained in this policy shall modify or change the existing policy regarding the transfer of a student whose parent is an employee of the St. Clair County Board of Education, provided, however, that a student of an employee of the Board shall comply with these regulations if the student’s parent ceases employment with the Board.
All decisions regarding the transfer status of students under this policy shall be determined by the Transfer Review Committee, and all decisions of the Transfer Review Committee shall be final and not appealable to the Superintendent or the Board of Education.
