The Central Lincoln County School System is considering a change in policy that would require more extensive review of student transfers between its five schools.
The change to the open-enrollment guidelines would also require the school in the town where a student lives to cover special education expenses.
The existing guidelines, in place for approximately 20 years, allow students who live in any of the school system’s seven towns to attend any of its five elementary schools with the consent of the superintendent.
The policy extends what amounts to “an open invitation,” Superintendent Steve Bailey said, and no money changes hands with the student.
The new policy would require “careful thought” about the impact of a transfer on both the school the student would normally attend, the “sending” school; and the school the student would transfer into, the “receiving” school, Bailey said.
“We’re looking to provide a little more clear criteria as far as requesting open enrollment and reviewing it on a yearly basis,” he said.
The new guidelines instruct the superintendent to consider the enrollment level of the grade the student wants to transfer into as well as the enrollment level of the receiving school as a whole.
He would also consider the needs of the child and any “unusual, compelling circumstances” before approving or denying a transfer.
The superintendent would review transfers on a year-by-year basis, taking the conduct and attendance of the student into account.
The new policy would also require the town where a student lives to cover special education expenses, such as one-on-one educational technicians, for students who transfer into another school.
“Right now, the receiving school picks up the cost of special education services for open-enrollment students,” Bailey said.
The new guidelines would affect some schools more than others. “In terms of receipt of students, it probably would affect (Great Salt Bay Community School) the most,” Bailey said. “Right now, they receive more open-enrollment students than they send out.”
The board of the school system and the eight school committees would all have to adopt the new policy for it to take effect. The votes will likely take place in February. The Maine Department of Education would also have to sign off on the policy.
The school system board also needs to talk about how to implement the new policy, Bailey said. The board will probably grandfather the 55 current transfer students in the school system.
The Central Lincoln County School System, also known as Alternative Organizational Structure 93, serves the towns of Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro, and South Bristol.
The school system includes five elementary schools: Bristol Consolidated School; Great Salt Bay Community School, which serves Bremen, Damariscotta and Newcastle; Jefferson Village School; Nobleboro Central School; and South Bristol School.
