By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab School District has a policy for dealing with
student attendance by transfer students and foreign exchange
students in the district.
School board members and Superintendent Kirk Wright
reviewed the administrative practice in the district for the
way students in six different situations should be
handled.
Much of the policy, however, is made null-and-void by
the district closing schools to outside attendees who are
not living with legal guardians within recognized boundaries
of the district.
"If the school is not closed, such as in the case of
the high school or Mona Elementary, the students not living
with a court-appointed guardian or natural parents must
receive a district 'Choice in Form' and must be referred to
the district office," said Wright.
"Students must pay out-of-state tuition or have the
patrons they are living with appointed the student's legal
guardian."
In the second scenario, students whose parents or
court appointed legal guardian live within the state, but
out of district boundaries, students must also fill out the
district "Choice in Form."
However, if students need special education services,
they are denied entry since district schools are
overloaded.
"It is our policy that regular student transfer
applications, a background check be done at the school the
student last attended and, if the student has experienced
discipline or controlled substance problems, we deny
admittance," said Wright.
In other cases, if the student is in a state foster
child program or Youth in Custody Program, or is living with
a social services state-appointed guardian, transfer
requests are referred to the district office.
If a student passes the background check, the
principal may admit the student if the classes where the
student would attend are not overloaded. However, currently,
most district classes are full.
Principals are told to be wary about accepting
parent's words that they are planning to move to the
district but are not living here yet, said Wright. In some
cases, in the past, the parents had given false information
and did not move to the district.
"We also tell principals to contact the district
office if there are any questions," said Wright.
In-district students who want to transfer from once
school to another in the district are referred to the
district office as are staff members who want to transfer a
student from one school within the district to another
school.
Foreign students who want to attend school in the
district and are not sponsored by programs approved by the
Utah State Office of Education (USOE) are also referred to
the district office.
In order to be considered a letter of application must
be written in English; there must be at least three letters
of recommendation written in English; there must be a
transcript of credits; and, to avoid paying out-of state
tuition, the host family must be granted guardianship by the
courts.
"Up to five foreign students a year, who are sponsored
by USOE-approved exchange programs, may be admitted at the
discretion of the school administration," said Wright.
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