SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDIES TRANSFER CHANGES SOUTHERN KERN REQUESTS WOULD BE AFFECTED.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

ROSAMOND - Students applying for the first time to transfer out of the Southern Kern Unified School District to attend schools elsewhere could face a new set of rules under a draft proposal.

Students who currently go to public schools outside the Southern Kern district would be allowed to continue going to those schools, according to the draft policy.

``The proposal will allow people who have interdistrict transfer agreements to continue with them, and we will start scrutinizing the new ones to make sure they meet the criteria,'' Assistant Superintendent Jim Johnson said. ``People currently on interdistrict transfer agreements are grandfathered in.''

Southern Kern officials are considering tightening the transfer policy because more than 10 percent of Southern Kern's 3,300 students are in public schools in other districts. This year, 349 students are out of the district, resulting in a loss of nearly $1.7 million.

``Before we pretty much granted all interdistrict transfers out because of the housing problem. With a new school opening we don't have the housing problem that we had before,'' Johnson said.

Westpark Elementary School is scheduled to open this year.

Southern Kern officials say they are trying to balance parents' desire to have their children transfer to schools near where they work, or for child- care or education reasons, but Southern Kern officials say students who leave take with them state funding and opportunities to offer more specialized and innovative programs.

The majority of Southern Kern students have transferred to the Muroc Joint Unified School District because their parents are in the military or work at Edwards Air Force Base.

The district is in the process of revising its interdistrict attendance policy and the board had a first reading of the draft policy at the Jan. 19 meeting.

Dozens of parents showed up at that board meeting and a board workshop earlier in the month, worried that Southern Kern might stop their children from attending school at Edwards and elsewhere.

Board members are working on a second draft policy that will be discussed and possibly acted on at Wednesday's meeting.

Currently, the district's policy allows students to leave Southern Kern to be near where their parents work or where child care is more accessible or for programs that Southern Kern does not have, such as Junior ROTC and robotics.

The district, if it wanted, could deny 90 percent of the transfer requests. State law says districts with enrollments of more than 2,500 students can cap transfers at 1 percent if the loss of pupils is detrimental to the district and affects its academic program, district officials said.

The 1 percent cap applies only to those transfer requests in which parent employment is given as a reason, Johnson said. The cap does not apply to requests that lists as reasons child care, which is valid up through the sixth grade, or educational programs, Johnson said.

Johnson said he did not know whether board members would propose a cap or not.

The draft policy states, ``Although students generally must attend school in the district where their residency has been established, the governing board recognizes justifiable reasons for interdistrict transfers. However, blanket agreements for interdistrict transfers will not be permitted with any school district. Any requests for out-of-district transfers for students shall be considered on an individual basis and taken to the governing board for approval or denial.''

The draft policy said interdistrict attendance could be approved for reasons such as the following:

--When special mental or physical health needs, as certified by health or school officials, can be met in another district.

--To complete a school year when the parents or guardians are moving into or out of the district during the school year.

--When a student's interest would be best served by the educational program not offered in the district of residency or by a change in school environment.

--When recommended by school or social welfare officials in documented cases of problems at home or in the community that make it inadvisable for the student to attend the school of residence.

--When child-care needs of the student are met by a parent or guardian, relative or sitter in another district.

--When the student has brothers or sisters attending school in a different district, to avoid splitting the family's attendance.

--To allow students to remain with a class graduating that year from an elementary, junior or senior high school.

--When the parent or guardian provides written evidence that the family will be moving to the receiving district in the immediate future and would like the student to start the year in that district.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com