Policy JG-R – Elementary Transfer Option Procedure

These updated guidelines were VOTED by the School Committee on 2/25/2025.

The Elementary Transfer Option (ETO) is an option that allows parents to voluntarily request attendance at a school other than their neighborhood school. Prior to applying for the Elementary Transfer Option, a child must be registered with the District. Elementary Transfer Option requests must be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations between March 1st and May 1st for the following school year. Applications for the Elementary Transfer Option will be available electronically through the district’s website and student data management system. One application must be submitted for each child for whom a parent/caregiver is applying. Elementary Transfer Option placements will be subject to space availability at the requested school and grade level, with no guarantee of placement for the student(s) identified in the submitted application(s). The district will make decisions on ETO applications based on the number of available spaces within the WPS elementary school class-size guidelines, which will allowfor neighborhood enrollment growth. Any spaces beyond this threshold–but still within class-size guidelines–will be made available for enrollment through the ETO process.

The Elementary Transfer Option window will open on March 1st at and close on May 1st. Following the close of this application window, the applications will be sorted between students impacted by a previous school reassignment due to a grade level closure and all other requests. These two lists will be randomized separately. The randomized school reassignment lists will be reviewed and placed first. The second randomized list with all other requests will be
placed second. Decisions will be based on space availability at the requested school and grade level. Because space availability may differ for a family with multiple children, a family may not be offered ETO placements for each child identified in their application.

The district will employ the following protocol to manage the application process for the Elementary Transfer Option:

  • An electronic ETO application will be available for families to complete and submit via the Powerschool Portal. One application must be submitted for each student.
  • The ETO application window will open on March 1st each year.
  • The ETO application window will close on May 1st each year.
  • Following the close of the ETO application window, the Administration will divide the applications in two lists: previously reassigned students due to grade level closures and all other requests. An application will be reviewed in the order assigned through the randomization process. The randomized list of previously reassigned students due tograde level closures will be placed first. The randomized list of all other applications will be placed second. (Note that this randomization will replace the prior practice of reviewing applications in the order in which they were received.)
  • Admissions may be granted if there are more than 5 spaces available in the requested school and grade level. Admission is based on a student-by-student basis, not by family.
  • Applicants will be notified on before the end of May if they have been granted an ETO placement(s).
  • Applicants have five business days to accept or reject the ETO offer. Offers and acceptances must be in writing via letter or email received within the 5-days period.
  • No ETO placements will be granted after the month of May.

Once accepted, the ETO assignment will be considered as a permanent placement and families will not have to reapply for Elementary Transfer Option in subsequent years for the accepted child/children. Additionally, because the Elementary Transfer Option is based on available space for individual children, any future siblings of students who have been placed through ETO will still need to apply in the year the future sibling is registered with the District for Elementary Transfer Option to attend the same school as their older sibling.

Transportation is not provided to any students who are enrolled in a school through the Elementary Transfer Option process.