J1600.01 - Waiver of Tuition for Domestic Exchange Students

STUDENT EXCHANGE REQUESTS

Exchange Overview

Oregon law states that a student shall attend school in the district in which parents reside and shall not attend school in another school district for the purpose of going to school without paying tuition. Lane County school districts have agreed to support exchanges between districts and "waive" tuition payments as long as an exchange is made on a "one for one" basis. The following information outlines Eugene SD 4J Administrative Rules for exchange criteria, application process, and revocation of an approved exchange.

District Exchange Criteria

1. Exchanges are for students who want to attend a Eugene School District 4J school but whose parents live outside the 4J school district boundaries. An exchange occurs when a student in our district wants to attend a school in another school district (such as Bethel School District) and vice versa. An exchange is made "one for one" in order to avoid out of district tuition to either student.
2. Transportation is the responsibility of the family.
3. Students who move from Eugene School District 4J to another school district after February 1st may continue attending their current schools through the end of the current school year, at the discretion of the school administrator. Students wanting to continue attending 4J schools beyond the current school year, have two options for submitting a new exchange request:

1. Students may add their names to the existing waiting lists for an exchange to begin during the current school year.
2. Students may apply for an exchange to begin the following school year.

APPLICATION PROCESS (BETHEL SD AND SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS STUDENTS ONLY)

1. Exchange requests will be accepted beginning the first Monday of April for the following school year. Requests received by the first Friday of May will be included in the lottery to determine the order of the waiting list. The lottery will be conducted on the second Friday of May. Students applying for exchanges after the lottery has occurred will be placed on the waiting list in the order the forms are received.
2. A student will have an approved exchange before applying to attend any 4J school. If there is space available at the preferred school and there is no waiting list, then exchange students may be accepted at that particular school.
3. If a student receives an approved exchange and enrolls in a 4J school, then the student may participate in the following year's School Choice lotteries for enrollment at a different school.
4. Once approved, the exchange will be automatically renewed annually. When a student with an existing approved exchange is promoted to a new level (from level K-5 to level 6-8 or from level 6-8 to level 9-12), the student will submit a School Choice Request to attend a 4J school at the next level. Students attending K-8 or K-12 alternative schools will continue to be enrolled through the highest grade level for the alternative program or school. If the student rescinds enrollment in an alternative school or program, a School Choice Request must be submitted and approved in order to attend another 4J school.

APPLICATION PROCESS (OTHER LANE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS)

Students from districts other than Bethel and Springfield must contact their respective district offices for pursuing an exchange request to attend Eugene SD 4J.

REVOCATION

At any time, a student's parent may request that an exchange be rescinded. The Chief Academic Officer or designee may also revoke an exchange if:

• The student shows a pattern of violating school rules and regulations.
• The student does not meet specific written conditions of the exchange.
• The information on the exchange form is falsified.
• The student has irregular attendance or chronic tardiness.

LOTTERY PRIORITIES

A lottery will be used to determine the order of the waiting list. Requests for exchanges will be evaluated according to the criteria below.

1. First priority will be given to seniors who were enrolled in a 4J school during the current academic year, but whose parents have moved to the attendance area of Bethel SD or Springfield Public Schools.
2. Second priority will be given to other students who were enrolled in a 4J school during the current academic year, but whose parents have moved to the attendance area of Bethel SD or Springfield Public Schools.
3. Third priority will be given to students who reside in the same immediate household as a sibling currently attending a 4J school with an approved exchange.
4. Fourth priority will be given to all other students who will be selected for placement on the waiting list by lottery.
5. Students who apply after the lottery date will be placed on the waiting list in the order that their application is received with the following exceptions: priorities will apply for returning students and siblings of students with existing exchanges. These students will be placed above post-lottery applicants in the order in which they were received, even if the new applicant's request preceded the returning student's or sibling's request.