photo by: Lawrence Journal-World

The Lawrence school board will meet on Monday, August 26, 2024 at the Lawrence district offices, 110 McDonald Dr.

After explicitly not doing so in past years, the Lawrence school district is now accepting transfer requests based on school preference, opening up new questions about how transfers will work in the upcoming school year.

The changes came about because of recent elementary school closures and boundary changes approved by the school board, and a desire to give families affected by the changes more options. A revised transfer form for elementary students opened May 2, and transfer forms are due May 19. District spokesperson Julie Boyle said in an email that the district is seeking to expedite the process, so families know as soon as possible whether their transfers are approved.

“District administration is sensitive to the effects of school closures and boundary changes on families, understands the board’s desire to offer families options, and will process transfer requests as expeditiously as possible with this in mind,” Boyle said.

Other particulars surrounding transfers include exemptions to boundary changes for certain students, discussion of potential priority for certain students and schools, and the possibility of the district funding unassigned teacher positions — known as contingency teachers — to give the district more flexibility to accommodate transfer requests. Whether a particular transfer can be supported depends on whether there is room in a particular school or classroom, and potentially on whether contingency teachers are made available to open additional sections.

Below are some of the questions surrounding transfers, and what the Journal-World has been able to gather at this time.

What was the previous transfer policy/practice, and what is the policy now?

The previous transfer form explicitly stated that Lawrence Public Schools “do not have an open enrollment policy” and that “requests for school transfer for the reason of school preference will not be approved.” The form stated that parents could only request a transfer for “special circumstances.” Based on school board direction to have more flexibility regarding transfers, that language has been removed from transfer forms for the upcoming school year. The district’s website now states that parents may request a transfer to a school outside of their student’s assigned attendance area.

Who may request a transfer?

All students may request a transfer; however, the district has “exempted” certain students from recently approved boundary changes. To accommodate incoming students from the closures of Pinckney and Broken Arrow elementary schools, about 80 students currently attending Cordley and Hillcrest were assigned to new schools. That includes an estimated 13 current Cordley students reassigned to attend New York; 30 current Hillcrest students reassigned to attend Quail Run; and 35 current Hillcrest students reassigned to attend Sunset Hill.

For those Cordley and Hillcrest students affected by boundary changes, the district is exempting current third and fourth graders (who will be in fourth and fifth grade for the 2023-2024 school year) and their younger siblings currently attending the same school. Those students can choose to stay at their current school or attend their new school. A transfer form must be completed for each exempt student.

Will any transfers be prioritized over others?

The district’s Boundary Advisory Committee, which worked with a district-hired consultant to create the boundary change recommendation related to the two school closures, discussed prioritizing certain transfers.

The BAC recommendation called for current Pinckney students living south of Sixth Street to be given priority if requesting a transfer to New York school. New York is in the midst of a multi-year transition to a public Montessori school, so preschool, kindergarten and first grade students entering New York next school year would be part of the Montessori program and students older than that would be in the traditional format. The committee also discussed ensuring that students in the English Language Learners program who are affected by the boundary changes may request a transfer so that they remain at their current school.

Board member GR Gordon-Ross, who is a member of the committee, said that when the board approved the boundary changes, he thought all the information, including how different transfers would be prioritized and whether classrooms would be added to accommodate transfers, needed to be clearly communicated.

Boyle did not directly respond when asked whether any transfers would be prioritized over others or whether all requests would be determined on a space-available basis. Boyle did note the previously discussed exemption and said the district has an open transfer process districtwide, “with the understanding that transfers are considered on a case-by-case basis and determined on a space-available basis.”

The Boundary Advisory Committee also discussed a desire to better utilize Woodlawn Elementary, and Boyle also stated that Woodlawn has sufficient space available to accommodate transfers and welcomes transfer requests. Those interested in transferring to Woodlawn may contact the school at 785-832-5920 or email the principal, Jayci Roberson, at jayci.roberson@usd497.org with any questions.

What are the constraints or limiting factors on transfers?

The number of spaces available in existing classrooms, whether a particular school has additional classrooms available and whether the district funds additional teachers so new sections can be opened will all determine the district’s capacity to support transfers. The elementary transfer form states certain buildings may be closed to transfers due to class and/or enrollment sizes.

Executive Director of Human Resources Kristen Ryan told the board on April 24 that past practice has been that schools receive an allocation of teaching positions based on school boundaries, and then principals look at what space is left in their buildings, in terms of certain grades and certain classrooms, to accept any incoming transfers. Ryan said at that time the district doesn’t yet have a good idea of what transfer numbers will be, but that she thought funding building contingency would likely be needed if the district were to address concerns about the ability to support transfer requests.

A couple of board members asked about potentially funding contingency teachers, which can also be used to open up new sections and keep class sizes down, but a decision has not yet been made in that regard. Ultimately, whether funds are allocated for contingency teachers is a decision the board will make as part of its budget process. The Kansas Legislature approved a school spending bill on April 28, but Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has yet to sign or veto the bill. Contract negotiations with the unions representing teachers and staff are also ongoing.

How many transfers did the district approve last year, and how many have been requested so far?

Boyle said the district has 768 students attending schools on in-district/out-of-district transfers in the current school year, including 383 at the elementary level, 110 at the middle school level and 275 at the high school level.

She said that since elementary transfers opened May 2, the district has received 156 elementary transfer requests. Middle and high school transfers were previously opened, and so far the district has received 101 middle school and 71 high school requests, for a total of 328 transfer requests across all levels so far.

Is there an estimate of how many elementary transfers the district will be able to support for the upcoming school year?

Boyle said it is difficult to answer that question because of the internal and external migration of the district’s student population. She said children move in, around, and out of the district every year, and with school closures, boundary changes, and liberal transfers, the district expects more movement.

What are other factors affecting whether a transfer is approved?

In addition to whether classroom space is available, the district’s transfer form states that individual code of conduct issues, including discipline, chronic tardiness and/or absenteeism, can be factors in a decision. A school principal may also revoke a previously approved transfer due to the availability of classroom space or code of conduct issues.

How can families apply for a transfer, and when will they be notified if their request is approved?

Typically, transfer forms are due by May 1, but due to the delays associated with the decisions regarding elementary school closures and boundary changes, the transfer form for the elementary level was not available until May 2. The district extended the deadline to May 19.

The transfer request form is available on the district’s website, usd497.org, including a Spanish translation. The form also lists additional information about transfers, including that if a transfer is approved, transportation to a student’s new school is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.

Boyle said that notifications to families generally occur in July, but that building and district administrators will try to expedite the turnaround on the requests.

She said any family with questions about transfers may direct them to the district’s Enrollment Center at enrollment@usd497.org or 785-330-1921.