The appeals process is for those seeking to transfer their student to another school after working with the school to make sure that all issues occurring cannot be resolved. Transfer Appeals are taken to a review panel to examine whether the student’s situation meets the criteria for a change in assignment.

Upon initially receiving the appeal, we will contact staff/school administration to inquire about what attempts were made to help the student in their current situation. Appeals are reviewed by a panel who will determine whether the presented evidence meets the criteria for a change in assignment. There are weekly meetings in which each appeal is reviewed in the order it is received.

Making a Complete Appeal

A complete appeal must include a parent written statement describing the efforts made to correct the issues currently happening at the school. It is helpful to explain why attending a new school would be the best option for the student.

It is required you meet with the principal of the school your student is currently attending as it is important for the appeals panel to see whether the school staff/administration is supportive of the transfer. A complete appeal will include a Principal Review form, which is to be completed at the discretion of the school principal.

If you do not wish to meet with the principal of the school your student is attending and your reasons involve a school-based matter, you may meet with another school staff member or administrative supervisor although it may affect the processing time of the appeal as we will have to contact the school to inquire whether or not the allegations or issues have been addressed.

When can I expect to hear back?

Transfer appeals may take up to a week minimum to process. Upon initially receiving the appeal, we log receipt and immediately contact school staff/administration to see what plans have been put in place thus forth to help the student’s current situation with regard to the appeal.

Appeals that contain allegations concerning bullying, discrimination, and safety or civil rights concerns may take two or more weeks to process. We thoroughly investigate each claim made which may delay the final result. Serious allegations may be investigated by various departments including, but not limited to, Office of Civil Rights, Special Education, Safety & Security, etc.

We encourage you to keep your child in their current assigned school while appeals are being reviewed. If a student is dropped due to non-attendance the appeal may be considered void because our policy states that students who do not have an assignment can not be considered for transfers.

The Final Step

If your appeal has been approved to another school, it will take a week to properly facilitate transferring the student to their new assignment. In the best interest of the student, we must ensure that the student’s new school has the necessary information and means to provide whatever services the student may need.

Unless there is an extremely compelling emergency situation, we do not make immediate (next day) reassignments for students seeking to transfer. If the transfer appeal is approved, our protocol is to allow the schools involved a week to exchange relevant student information.