How do I request a transfer to another school?
Parents requesting a change of school assignment must complete an on-line transfer request by the established deadline. The on-line application was open Feburary 1 - 29 2024 and has now been closed.
What is the deadline for requesting a transfer for next school year?
Transfers must be submitted by the deadline posted each year on the school system website. The deadline to request a transfer for the 2024-2025 school year is midnight on February 29, 2024. No requests will be accepted after this date.
For what reasons will transfer requests be allowed?
Provided the requested school has sufficient space, staffing, grade-level capacity and appropriate
programming, the Superintendent or designee is authorized to grant a transfer if one or more of
the following criteria are present:
1. A parent/legal guardian is employed as a permanent, full-time employee of Moore County Schools, and the request is to transfer to the school where the parent works or a school within the attendance area of the place the parent works.
2. A sibling of a student previously assigned by Moore County Schools to a school outside his/her attendance area in the same school year, and the request is to allow the student to attend the same school as the sibling, provided space is available.
3. The transfer is needed for hardship reasons related to before or after-school daycare, and there is no viable alternative to a transfer.
4. The student wishes to take advantage of a specific, unique program offered at the school requested that is not offered at the student's assigned school.
5. A rising 1st - 5th grade student who has previously been granted a transfer based on the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 school redistricting, and the request is to allow the student to continue to attend the same school.
Requests that do not meet any of these five criteria will be denied by the administration, but may be
appealed to the Board of Education pursuant to section 6210 of the Transfer of School Assignment
policy.
What does it mean for a school to be closed/capped?
A school is classified as closed/capped when the student capacity is at 95% or greater. This means that the school is full, and can't accept new students.
If a school is classified as closed/capped, can I still submit a transfer or discretionary admission request during the open window?
Yes, even if a school is deemed capped/closed, anyone is certainly welcome to submit a request during the open window in February. However, please understand that your request will most likely be denied. While anyone is welcome to submit a request to a closed/capped school, the $10.00 processing fee to submit the request is non-refundable.
What is the difference between a school transfer and a discretionary admission?
A school transfer is for families that live in Moore County to request for their child to be assigned to another school outside of their zoned attendance area. Families must meet one of the five criteria (listed in the question above) in order to request a school transfer. A discretionary admission is for use by families who live outside of Moore County to request permission for their child to attend school in Moore County. There are no set criteria (reasons) for families requesting discretionary admission. Most discretionary admissions require that parents pay a yearly tuition of $2,808 per student. Families who have an approved discretionary admission to attend one of our under-utilized schools (Highfalls Elementary, Robbins Elementary, Westmoore Elementary, Elise Middle, and North Moore High) are not required to pay tuition so long as they attend one of these five under-utilized schools. Full-time Moore County School employees who live outside of Moore County are exempt from paying tuition regardless of which school their child attends; however, they are required to submit a discretionary admission each year. Anyone that lives outside of Moore County is required to request discretionary admission each year during the open window in February---this includes MCS employees and non-employees. When you submit your discretionary admission request, you will be asked to explain in detail why you are requesting for your child to attend school in Moore County.
How are transfer requests for open schools processed if there are not enough seats at the school for the number of received transfer requests?
If there are not enough seats at the open school for all transfer applicants, each student applicant will be assigned a number, and the numbers will be randomly ordered by computer. A wait list will be created, and wait-listed families will be notified if a space becomes available.
For more information about the lottery process, see Regulation 6210.2.A.
How long do transfers remain valid?
Transfers are valid for the school year in which the transfer was approved.
How do I renew my child's school transfer each year?
To apply for renewal of a previously granted transfer, parents/guardians need to submit an on-line (opens Feb. 1) student transfer request (or discretionary admission request) each year. The deadline date to submit requests for the 2024-2025 school year is midnight on February 29, 2024. There are no guarantees that a request will be approved every year.
If my child has been attending the same school for several years, is it possible for their transfer to suddenly be denied?
Yes. Even if your child has been attending a school under an approved transfer for several years, there are no guarantees it will be approved from year to year. Attending the same school for several years under an approved transfer doesn't grant a student an automatic transfer approval.
Do I need to request a transfer when my child is moving from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school?
Yes, but only if your child will be transitioning to a middle or high school outside of their domiciled attendance area. Transfers are not valid for the entire feeder pattern (elementary to middle to high school). Students transitioning to the next grade span need to be approved as transfer students if they are needing to attend a school outside of their domiciled attendance area.
Can transfers be revoked?
Yes. The central office administration may revoke a transfer or return a student to his/her home school based on problems such as excessive tardies or absences or persistent inappropriate behavior. Transfers may also be revoked if it is determined that they were granted or renewed based on false information submitted by the parent or guardian.
If my family moves during the school year, will my child be allowed to complete the school year at his or her current school?
Yes, so long as your family can provide transportation. After the school year ends, the child will be assigned to the home school in the family's new attendance area for the next school year. At that point, the only way to remain at the old school would be to request and be granted a school transfer or discretionary admission. Requests must be submitted during the open window in February. (The school transfer/discretionary admission window for the 2024-2025 school year is February 1-29, 2024. No requests will be accepted after this date.)
If my transfer is granted, will my child get bus transportation?
No. Students with an approved transfer must provide their own transportation to/from school.
Will my child be able to compete in interscholastic athletics after receiving a transfer or discretionary admission?
Under North Carolina High School Athletic Association rules, students participating in interscholastic athletics who transfer from one school to another in the same district must generally sit out of any interscholastic sports they are participating in for 365 days unless the family has changed domicile and moved to the attendance area of the new school. Visit the NCHSAA website for more information about eligibility rules.
May I appeal if my transfer request is denied?
Yes. If your transfer is denied for any reason, you may appeal to the Board of Education by completing and submitting an appeal form. Appeal forms may be accessed directly through the ScribChoice program. Completed forms, along with any supporting documentation, should be submitted to the office for Student Support Services. Forms must be received or post-marked by the deadline. The deadline to submit transfer appeals for the 2024-2025 school year is April 12, 2024.
Families will be notified of the time and place for their appeals hearing. At the hearing, the family will be given two minutes to explain why the transfer should be granted. The administration will have two minutes to explain why the initial request was denied. A panel of Board members will deliberate in private, review the transfer forms and decide on a recommendation to the full Board. The full Board will vote on the appeal, and the family will be notified of its final decision.
On appeal, the Board panel and full Board will base their decisions on a consideration of the best interest of the student; the orderly and efficient administration of the public schools; the proper administration of the school to which reassignment is requested; and the instruction, health and safety of the students enrolled there.
For more information about the appeals process, please see Policy Regulation 6210.3.