STUDENT ENROLMENT & CHOICE

Background

Provincial legislation requires Boards of Education to provide an educational program free of charge to every eligible school-aged student who is ordinarily resident in BC.  Legislation also supports family choice regarding the school a child may attend. 

To meet student needs and manage facilities, staffing, and transportation effectively, the Saanich School District establishes school catchment areas aligned with population distribution, grade configuration, and the locations of District programs. Students will normally attend their catchment area school unless limited by space, facilities, or the availability of appropriate educational resources, or they have been accepted to attend a non-catchment school, a program of choice, or a Specialty Academy pending approval. Students may also enrol in District Alternate or Online Learning programs.

Students who prefer to attend a District school other than their designated receiving school must make an application as per the procedures below. 

School Act Definitions

The following definitions from the School Act apply to this Administrative Procedure:

“Catchment area child” means a school-aged person who resides within the catchment area of a school.

“Non-catchment area child” means a school-aged person who resides in the school District but outside the catchment area of the school.

“Non-school district child” means a school-aged person who resides in British Columbia and outside the School District.

If these statutory definitions change, this Administrative Procedure will be deemed automatically updated to reflect the revised legislative definitions.

Other definitions

“School age” means the age between the date on which a person is permitted to enrol in an educational program provided by a Board, and the end of the school year in which the person reaches the age of 19 years. A child who reaches the age of five (5) before December 31 of that school year may enrol in a Kindergarten program starting in September of that school year. 

“Continuing student” means a student in attendance at a school or a designated feeder school during the previous school year. 

“Feeder schools” and “Receiving schools” means schools designated by the Board whereby the highest grade of the feeder school progresses automatically to the receiving school.

“Ordinarily resident” is established in accordance with Administrative Procedure 300 (Admission).

“Guardian” as defined in the Family Law Act or as a personal guardian under the Infants Act.

Procedures

1. When the District considers school catchment boundaries, student population will be equated as closely as possible to the functional capacity of each school. When a boundary is changed, existing students whose catchment area changes will be allowed to continue at their current school.

2. The majority of students should be accommodated in the school serving the catchment area in which they reside. As per AP 300, parents are required to provide proof of residency at the time of registration.  Occasionally, space limitations and class size and composition restrictions require a temporary limit to particular classes, grades or schools to new enrolment.  Decisions regarding student placement will be guided by:

   1. Maximizing enrolment in catchment area schools;

   2. Supporting parental and student choice, with informed consultation regarding implications;

   3. Promoting stability and continuity for students and families;

   4. Ensuring sustainable and equitable resource allocations;

   5. Supporting enrolment in Programs of Choice and Specialty Academies; and,

   6. Recognizing that secondary students (Grades 9-12) may be enrolled in more than one scho

3. All K–5 students new to the District register through the School Board Office, or during Kindergarten Registration week in January at elementary catchment schools. Placement is normally in the catchment school if space, facilities and educational resources permit. If not, the District will consult with parents and arrange placement in another school pending space, facilities and inclusive education resources becoming available in the catchment school. Students in Grades 6 -12 register directly at their catchment school or school of choice, not at the School Board Office.

    

4. Enrolment Priority is given for student placement in a program or school in the following order:

   1. Continuing student

   2. Sibling of continuing student at the same school

   3. Catchment area child

   4. Non-catchment area child

   5. Non-school district child of a SD63 employee

   6. Non-school district child

    

5. Determination of Available Space and Facilities - For purposes of Section 74.1(6) and 74.1(7) of the School Act, available space and facilities in a school will be considered when the District determines that the school has the capacity to provide an educational program appropriate to the applicant’s needs.  In making this determination, the District will consider both physical capacity and educational resources, following reasonable enrolment projections that ensure priority accommodation is provided for:

   1.  Continuing students who are entitled to remain at the school;

   2.  District Programs of Choice and/or Specialty Academies, and,

   3. Kindergarten students residing within the school’s catchment area, sufficient to accommodate projected neighbourhood enrolment.

       

      Only after these considerations have been addressed may remaining space and facilities be deemed available for additional enrolment.

6. Feeder Schools: Upon admission to an elementary or middle school, students become part of a feeder school.  In a feeder school model, students advance automatically to their respective receiving schools

1. Parents/guardians seeking enrolment in a non-catchment school must consult with the administration of their catchment school and complete a Non-Catchment Area Application and, if new to the School District, complete a full registration package (documents found on the District website).   Administration of either school may request an interview with the family to discuss the request.  Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation and any associated costs for the transferred student.

2. A parent/guardian who is offered a place for their child at a school location for which they have
   applied, must confirm acceptance of the position in a timely fashion. Although this can vary,
   generally this decision is made within twenty-four (24) hours.

3. Waitlist

   1. In some instances, the catchment school will not have the space, facilities or appropriate educational programs required to meet the student’s educational needs.  For catchment children, the child will be placed on a waitlist and the District will arrange placement at the next nearest school that has space and can provide an appropriate educational program.  Such students will be contacted if space becomes available in their catchment school.

   2. For non-school district children, the District may place the child on a waitlist for the requested school and the applicant may be directed back to their own school district. 

      1. If space becomes available in a requested school, placement will occur in the admission priority listed below. 

      2. Waitlists for the current school year expire on April 1st each year.

   3. The School Board Office or the receiving school will date stamp non-catchment requests and place students on a waitlist. On or before September 15, Principals will determine the number of seats available in classes or programs for non-catchment requests. If possible, decisions for placement of non-catchment students will be made before the end of the preceding school year. If the Principal determines that space and facilities are available, students from the wait list will be selected based on the following priority order:

      1. Priority 1:  A student whose enrolment has been approved by District executive or directed by the student review process.

      2. Priority 2:  A student whose enrolment is in a Program of Choice or Specialty Academy.

      3. Priority 3:  A student who is in-district and non-catchment.

      4. Priority 4:  A SD63 employee’s child from outside the District.

      5. Priority 5:  A student from outside the District. 
         
         Within each priority group, applications are considered in order of receipt.

   4. Receiving schools will notify parents of students on the wait list as soon as a decision is made, or as soon after September 15 as possible, to indicate whether or not the request has been accommodated.

   5. When a parent/guardian applies for admission to a school outside of their catchment area, the parent/guardian will be expected to assume responsibility for transportation and any other costs associated with this decision.

4. Enrolment Limits:

   1. Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 may be enrolled in only one school of record.

   2.           Students in Grades 9–12 may enrol in more than one school under provisions of the School Act and associated regulations.

   3.           Grade 8 students will be able to attend Grade 9 at the school of their choice (per the provisions of sections 5 through 10 as applicable) and remain eligible for BC School Sports competitions in their school of choice if registration was complete and accepted on the first day of school in September.

5. Students accepted into a Program of Choice or Academy outside their catchment area are assigned to the host school based on continued program participation. It is expected that if a student is no longer enrolled in the Academy/Program of Choice they will return to their catchment school.  This may affect a student-athlete’s athletic eligibility for a 12 month period, or subject to appeal through BC School Sports. However, students no longer enrolled in an Academy or Program of Choice may apply to the non-catchment school for placement by completing the Non-Catchment Area Application. In determining non-catchment placement, Principals will consider factors such as length of enrolment in Academy/Program as well as space, facilities and resources availability. 

6. District Alternate Program: The District strives to provide an educational program for all school-age students within District schools. The District further recognizes the diverse needs of learners, who may have educational, social, emotional, and/or behavioural needs that require an alternate educational setting and program.  The following procedures relate to referrals to District Alternate Programs: 

   1. School Principals, in consultation with families and school-based teams, will recommend students to be considered for placement in an Alternate Program through a referral to the zonal District Advocate, or Behaviour Support Team, or CDC/ALP administrator.

   2. Self or family referrals to Alternate Programs will be facilitated through current school Counselors, Principals, or District Advocates.

   3. Based on these recommendations, the administrator of the alternate program will determine whether appropriate space, facilities and educational resources are available to accept the student into the program.

   4. Supportive transition plans will be developed in consultation with the student and family.

   5. Transportation funding will not be provided for attendance at alternate schools or programs, unless deemed necessary by the District.

7. Transfer of Continuing Students:  Parents may request that a continuing student be permitted to attend a different school in a subsequent school year.  These requests may be granted provided a suitable program, resources, space, and facilities are available at the end school and the transfer is for valid educational reasons:

   1.    Process:

      1. Parent informs the current school.

      2. Parent completes the Non-Catchment Area Application for the preferred school.

      3. Either Principal may require an interview to discuss the request.

      4. Acceptance depends on:

         1. Space, facilities, and resources;

         2. Capacity to provide an appropriate educational program;

         3. Confirmation that the transfer serves a valid educational purpose. 

   2. Parents/guardians are responsible for transportation and any associated costs for the transferred student.

8. Unconfirmed Students in September: An enrolled student may be removed from the school’s register if the student has not returned to school by 3:00pm on the Thursday after school opening in September.  Parents/Guardians who have concerns about arriving by the date above should address their concern well in advance of the first Thursday after school opening to the school Principal. The Principal or designate shall, in a timely way, communicate to the parent/guardian whether a later start date is possible. Generally speaking, schools are not able to guarantee spots.