Regular enrollment is attending the local school you are assigned based on your home address.  This is also referred to as attending your default school or home school.  Schools must ensure there is enough classroom space for these students.

Open enrollment allows parents to apply for admission to any public school in the state as long as there is classroom space available.  Parents choose to open enroll their child in another school or school district for many reasons such as unique program offerings, teaching philosophy, extracurricular activities, or a closer proximity to work.  Regardless of the reason, open enrollment is an option for parents if there is space.

Open enrollment applications are accepted throughout the year and enrollment will be considered as capacity allows.  Students who are denied access due to capacity shall be placed on a waitlist and selected as seats become available.  A separate application must be submitted for each student for whom open enrollment is being requested, including siblings. 

Resident Transfer Pupil

• Resident Transfer Pupil means a resident student who is enrolled in or seeking enrollment in a school that is within the school district but outside of the attendance area of the student’s residence.
• If you intend for your student(s) to attend a school outside of your residence attendance area, a Boundary Exception Application should be completed by April 30 for enrollment during the following year.  Applications received after this date will be acted on in the order received as capacity allows.
• To determine the school boundaries where you reside, visit http://apps.schoolsitelocator.com/?districtcode=36379#. 
• Parents or Legal Guardians are responsible to provide transportation to the receiving school except as provided by law.  A resident transfer pupil is eligible for District transportation on routes within the attendance boundaries of the school to which the student has been accepted for open enrollment transfer.  It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the student to have the student at a pickup point designated by the District within the receiving school’s transportation area.  For information regarding transportation for open enrolled students, please visit https://www.fusd1.org/Domain/33 or contact the Transportation Department at (928) 527-2300. 
• If your student is in high school and participates in sports, all high school students are subject to Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) transfer rules. Students must apply separately for transfer of athletic eligibility.  Questions regarding eligibility of a transfer student to participate in sports should be addressed with the Athletic Director at the high school currently attending.

Nonresident Pupil

• Nonresident Pupil means a student who resides in this state and is seeking enrollment in a school district other than the school district in which the student resides.
• Parents with students currently not enrolled in an FUSD school will need to first complete the online registration process found on the FUSD website. Please contact the school for assistance if needed.
• Parents or Legal Guardians are responsible to provide transportation to the receiving school except as provided by law.  Nonresident open enrollment students are eligible for District transportation from a designated pickup point on a bus route serving the attendance area of the school to which the student has been admitted, or as may otherwise be determined by the District.
• The District may provide transportation for open enrollment nonresident students who meet the economic eligibility requirements established under the national school lunch and child nutrition acts for free or reduced-price lunches:
  • the school of attendance, or
  • a pickup point on a regular transportation route designated by the District, or
  • for the total miles traveled each day to an adjacent district.
• of not more than 30 miles to and from:
• The District shall provide transportation for open enrollment nonresident students with disabilities whose individualized education program (IEP) specifies that transportation is necessary for the fulfillment of the program:
  • the school of attendance, or
  • a pickup point on a regular transportation route designated by the District, or
  • for the total miles traveled each day to an adjacent district.
• of not more than 30 miles to and from:
• For information regarding transportation for open enrolled students, please visit https://www.fusd1.org/Domain/33 or contact the Transportation Department at (928) 527-2300. 
• If your student is in High School and participates in sports, all high school students are subject to Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) transfer rules. Students must apply separately for transfer of athletic eligibility.  Questions regarding eligibility of a transfer student to participate in sports should be addressed with the Athletic Director at the high school currently attending.

Capacity and Enrollment Priorities

The Superintendent shall annually estimate how much excess capacity may exist to accept open enrollment pupils, and information about the school’s capacity and whether the school is currently accepting open enrollment students will be posted on the school’s website. The estimate of excess capacity shall be made for each school and grade level and shall take into consideration:

1. District resident pupils in assigned school attendance areas, including those issued certificates of educational convenience and those required to be admitted by statute.
2. The enrollment of eligible children of persons who are employed by the District.
3. Resident transfer pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.
4. Nonresident pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year.

If there is excess capacity to enroll additional pupils, such pupils shall be selected on the basis of designated priority categories from the pool of pupils:

1. Who have properly completed and submitted applications; and
2. Who meet admission standards.

Enrollment priorities and procedures for selection shall be in the order and in accordance with the following:

1. Enrollment preference shall be given to resident transfer pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled concurrently with such pupils.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.
2. Enrollment preference shall be given to nonresident pupils who were enrolled in the school the previous year and any sibling who would be enrolled concurrently with such pupils.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.
3. Enrollment preference shall be given to resident transfer pupils who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.
4. Enrollment preference shall be given to nonresident pupils who were not enrolled in the school the previous year.  If capacity is not sufficient to enroll all of these pupils, they shall be selected through a random selection process adopted by regulation of the Superintendent.

A pupil who has been expelled by any school district in this state or who is not in compliance with a condition of disciplinary action imposed by any other school or school district or with a condition imposed by the juvenile court shall not be admitted.  Acceptance for enrollment may be revoked upon finding the existence of any of these conditions. 

Notification

The school shall notify the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian in writing whether the applicant has been accepted, placed on a waiting list pending the availability of capacity, or rejected.  The school shall also notify the resident school district of an applicant's acceptance or placement on a waiting list.  If the applicant is placed on a waiting list, the notification shall inform the emancipated pupil, parent, or legal guardian of the date when it will be determined whether there is capacity for additional enrollment in a school.  If the pupil's application is rejected, the reason for the rejection shall be stated in the notification.

As provided by A.R.S. 15-816.07, the District and its employees are immune from civil liability for decisions relative to the acceptance or rejection of the enrollment of a nonresident student when the decisions are based on good faith application of this policy and the applicable statutory requirements and standards.