3110 - Qualifications of Attendance and Placement

Age of Admission

It is a right and responsibility of those who meet the requirements prescribed by law to attend the schools of the district. 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 they complete high school graduation requirements. Children of 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 will exercise their authority to grant exceptions when they determine that the student:

1. Is lawfully and regularly employed, and
2. Has permission of a parent, or
3. Is emancipated pursuant to Chapter 13.64 RCW; or
4. 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 will be entitled to take any course, receive any ancillary services and take or receive any combination of courses and ancillary services which is offered by a public school to full-time students.

 

Entrance Qualifications

To be admitted to a kindergarten program that 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 that 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, public or private, kindergarten program of 450 or more hours including instruction in the essential academic learning requirements 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
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 will provide reliable estimates of these skills and abilities, develop procedures for implementing this policy and establish fees to cover 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.

 

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:

1. There is available space in the school and program which the student will attend;
2. Tuition is prepaid;
3. The student provides his/her own transportation;
4. The student resides in the state of Washington; and
5. 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 will be placed in kindergarten or first grade, or the grade from which they transferred.  The principal will 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:

District Policy 2100 - Educational Opportunities for Students With A Parent In The Military

District Policy 2121 - Substance Abuse Program

District Policy 2140 - Comprehensive School Counseling Program

District Policy 2108 - Learning Assistance Program

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

District Policy 3122 - Excused and Unexcused Absences

District Policy 4220 - Complaints Concerning Staff or Programs

 

Legal References:

RCW  28A.225.010	Attendance mandatory — Age —Exceptions
RCW  28A.225.020	School’s duties upon child’s failure to attend school
RCW  28A.225.160	Qualification for admission to district’s schools — Fees for preadmission screening
RCW  28A.225.220	Adults, children from other districts, agreements for attending school — Tuition
WAC 392-335	Pupils – Uniform Entry Qualifications
WAC  392-134-010	Attendance rights of part-time public school students
WAC 392-137	Finance — Nonresident attendance

 

Management Resource:

2011 – December Issue

2006 – April Issue

1999 – August Issue

 

Adoption Date:  August 15, 2005

Revised: September 2, 2015; December 19, 2024

 

Administrator Responsibilities: