Administrative Procedure 300
ADMISSION TO SCHOOL
Background
Pursuant to the School Act, the District shall provide an education program, free of charge, to all children of school age ordinarily resident in the District, and may provide an educational program free or at a fee to temporary attendees, non-residents, or over-age students. Please note that it is not the Delta School District’s practice to share student or parent information with Federal Immigration Authorities, unless there is a specific case where the District may be required to do so by law.
Procedures
1. Students registering in District schools shall be required to submit appropriate proof of citizenship, landed or student visa status, residence address, and age.
1.1 The District will accept submission of any one (1) of the following as proof of age:
1.1.1 Original of birth certificate (ideally showing the parent’s names(s));
1.1.2 Passport.
1.2 In addition, parents will also be required to provide proof of citizenship or status.
2. The Principal shall, after appropriate age verification, admit to kindergarten in September, a child who will have reached a chronological age of five (5) years on or before December 31 of the year of intended enrolment.
3. The Principal shall, after appropriate age verification, admit to full-time attendance in September, a child who will have reached a chronological age of six (6) years on or before December 31 of the year of intended enrolment.
4. A person of school age, who applies for the first time in the District for admission, shall be placed by the Principal in the program or courses the Principal considers most suitable.
4.1 In arriving at such a decision, the Principal shall consider all available records and information.
4.2 The child may be placed in the program or courses for a trial period.
5. In any question of admission of students to any program, the matter shall be referred to the Superintendent or designate for consideration.
6. Dates for Application for Enrolment
6.1 Before February 1 of each school year, the Board will establish and publish application dates and procedures for:
6.1.1 Non-District children;
6.1.2 Non-catchment area children, except for continuing students;
6.1.3 Students applying in District programs for the first time;
6.1.4 Catchment area children, other than continuing students;
6.1.5 Children applying for first-time entry to kindergarten programs.
6.2 The Board may establish different enrolment dates for different grades, educational programs, schools, or categories of applicants.
6.3 An alternate process will be used for the enrolment of continuing District children.
Reference: Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 22, 23, 65, 74.1, 75, 75.1, 85 School Act
Revised: November 2024
Administrative Procedure 300 – Appendix A
REGISTRATION OF NEW STUDENTS
Definitions
Legal Guardian: A legal guardian is the parent(s) or a person appointed by a Canadian Court Order. A letter from the parent is not sufficient to designate a person as a legal guardian.
Resident: A person who is living in the District. While the District may have an obligation to educate any resident of school age, the education does not need to be free of charge unless s/he is “ordinarily resident”.
Ordinarily Resident: To be “ordinarily resident” requires that both student and parent (or legal guardian) have a permanent “place of residence” and an ongoing physical presence in the District.
School Age is defined in the School Act as a person who has or will have attained the age of five (5) years on or before December 31 of that school year and who has not attained the age of nineteen (19) years before July 1 in the year of application.
Place of residence: For purposes of this administrative procedure, a student’s place of residence is deemed to be that of the student’s guardian of the person, unless satisfactory evidence is produced that the student’s ordinary residence during the school year is elsewhere. The place of residence at the time of application determines the status of the applicant as a catchment area, non-catchment area, or non-District child.
Choice District program means those programs (e.g. French Immersion) established by the Board that have the entire District as the catchment area. Upon leaving a District program to enter the regular program, the regular program catchment area will apply to the student for placement purposes.
Catchment area child means a person of school age, and resident in the attendance or catchment area of the school.
Non-catchment area child means a person of school age, resident in the District, and non-resident in the attendance or catchment area of the school.
District child means an attendance or catchment area child or a non-attendance or non-catchment area child.
Non-District child means a person of school age, resident in British Columbia, and non-resident in the District.
Previous school year means the school year previous to the school year for which the person is applying to enrol in an educational program.
Feeder schools and their associated “receiving schools” are described by the District’s established catchment areas, where the class from the highest grade offered by the feeder school would be enrolled the next year in a designated receiving school, unless an application for enrolment elsewhere is accepted.
Continuing student means a student in attendance at the school or a designated feeder school during the previous school year.
Administrative Procedure 300 – Appendix A Procedural Guidelines for Registration of New Students table (see link to pdf for table)
Delta School District 37 November 2024
Administrative Procedures Manual
Administrative Procedure 300 – Appendix B Inquiry for Presentation for New Student Registration (see link to pdf for Administrative Procedure 300
Reference: Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 22, 23, 65, 74.1, 75, 75.1, 85 School Act
Delta School District 37 November 2024
Administrative Procedures Manual
Administrative Procedure 300 – Appendix C Kindergarten Registration
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
FEBRUARY:
- Schools will accept registrations for students living in their catchment area as advertised on the District website. If a parent wishes for their child to attend a different school, an online Non-Catchment Application Form must be completed by the 1st Monday in February. A copy of the Non-Catchment Application will automatically be sent to the catchment school, school(s) being requested, and the Assistant Superintendent’s Office.
- Schools should hold Non-Catchment forms until approved by the Assistant Superintendent. Approvals will be processed as soon as possible but may need to be held until September. No approval of non-catchment area requests may be given at the school level.
- Non-district students applying for Kindergarten in Delta need to complete an online Non-District Application Form. A copy of the Non-District Application will automatically be sent to the school(s) being requested and the Assistant Superintendent’s Office. Parents of non-district students should be advised that a decision regarding entry into the Delta Kindergarten program may not be made until the second week of September. Once the school has received approval from the Assistant Superintendents’ Office, non-district students may then register for the designated school.
- Parents of non-catchment or non-district students applying prior to the 1st Friday in March, should be advised a decision regarding entry into the Delta Kindergarten program around mid-May, or shortly thereafter. The Assistant Superintendents’ Office will notify each school of the successful non-catchment and non-district applicants. Non-district students may not be registered or entered into the Student Management System until the school has received approval from the Assistant Superintendents’ Office. Parents applying after the 1st Friday in March, should be advised that a decision may not be made until after Labour Day (1st Monday in September).
MARCH-JUNE:
- Schools will continue to review and process new registrations as they are received. Refer to FEBRUARY (above) for non-catchment and non-district processes.
- The Assistant Superintendent will confirm staff allocations using up-to-date enrolment data. In schools where enrolments are uncertain and staff allocations are “interim”, a letter (sample below) is to be sent to all parents, explaining that placement of their children cannot be confirmed until school opening.
- By early/mid-June, wherever possible, schools will send an information letter to all families who have registered a child for Kindergarten. This letter must outline procedures for the start-up of the Kindergarten year and include details on the phase-in schedule and supplies required. Schools that are not in a position to send this letter to parents by mid-June must advise the Assistant Superintendents’ Office.
SEPTEMBER:
- Schools will continue to review and process new registrations as they are received. Staff allocations will be confirmed and student placement completed early in September, as enrolments are confirmed. Refer to FEBRUARY (above) for non-catchment and non-district processes.
For students entering Kindergarten who have identified diverse needs, individualized communication may be provided during the transition planning process, and outside of this general timeline.
Reference: Sections 2, 3, 4, 7, 20, 22, 23, 65, 74.1, 75, 75.1, 85 School Act
Revised: January 2026, January 2024, November 2024
Delta School District 37 January 2026
Administrative Procedures Manual