Administrative Procedure: 305
ATTENDANCE AREAS
Background
The District shall establish attendance areas for effective use of school facilities and for transportation purposes. It is desirable to maintain attendance area boundaries in order to ensure the program viability of existing schools in their respective communities.
Section 74.1 of the School Act establishes priorities for enrolment to apply if the Board determines that space and facilities are available in a school.
Procedures
1. The Board approves school/program attendance areas.
2. Student Admission and School Choice
2.1 The student admission process is to:
2.1.1 Maximize the number of students able to attend their catchment area school in accordance with their interests.
2.1.2 Enable the student’s and parent’s ability to choose the school and education program which best meets the student’s educational needs.
2.1.3 Support clarity, stability and continuity for students and families. Wherever possible, siblings will be admitted to the same school, subject to the provisions of the School Act and the interests of the family.
2.1.4 Enable school and District staff to plan the allocation of resources in ways that will best accommodate demand and minimize adjustments required at the beginning of the school year.
3. The Superintendent or designate shall determine whether space and facilities are available in individual schools and education programs in the District for purposes of Section 74.1(6) and (7) of the School Act.
3.1 Space and facilities are available in a school if there is excess capacity:
3.1.1 Taking into account both physical and instructional resources, after reasonable enrolment projections have been made to allow for the accommodation of students returning from prior years, students enrolling in District programs, students incoming from designated feeder schools, and children enrolling in kindergarten who live in the catchment area for the school.
4. Decisions are to be made in consultation with the Principal of the affected school and will be based on program capacity, including consideration of the following factors:
4.1 The operating capacity of the school as defined by the Ministry of Education;
4.2 The level of staff assigned to a school by the District;
4.3 The physical space in which instructional programs operate in the school;
4.4 The ability of the school to provide the appropriate education programs for the applicant and other students;
4.5 The needs of other programs located in the school.
5. Description of boundary lines and school attendance areas will be circulated to all schools and will be available to the public.
APPENDIX: MAP OF ATTENDANCE AREAS
https://www.deltasd.bc.ca/schools/student-registration/catchment-area-maps/
Reference: Sections 2, 3, 3.1, 7, 20, 22, 65, 74.1, 75, 75.1, 85 School Act
Revised: May 2013
Procedure 305