CV district halts transfers into 10 schools

Central Valley School District has posted “no vacancy” signs at 10 of its 22 schools.

The district has experienced a 2 percent to 3 percent enrollment increase in recent years, resulting in 1,300 additional students since 2001 – a total of about 12,000.

By comparison, East Valley School District’s enrollment is approximately 4,000, a loss of 700 students in the past seven years. Enrollment at West Valley has remained steady at around 3,500.

Every year at this time, districts take a look at facilities and the number of students expected for the next year to determine if there’s room for nonresident students who want to transfer or “choice” into their district.

“The options are narrowing for 2007-08. This current school year we had seven schools and next year we have 10 schools closed to out-of-district choice,” said Melanie Rose, Central Valley spokeswoman. “The three additional schools are all elementary schools: Broadway, Sunrise and University.”

Like last year, Central Valley isn’t accepting out-of-district transfer requests for Greenacres and Liberty Lake elementary schools, or Bowdish, Evergreen and Greenacres middle schools.

Central Valley and University high schools won’t accept outside students again this year but may consider transfer requests from in-district students. Once the decision has been made, these students can remain at that school all four years.

Elementary and middle school “choice” students must reapply every year and there’s no guarantee there will be space.

Rose said that even if a nonresident student has been accepted at a school, the district has until Oct. 15 to determine whether it needs that space for a resident student. If it does, the transfer student would be sent back to their home district, or in the case of an in-district transfer, back to their neighborhood school.

The district is asking parents interested in transferring to submit an application to the principal of the desired school. The forms are available online at www.cvsd.org under parent resources/forms and at district schools.

Students living within the district need to submit the written request by April 15. Non-resident students have until May 1. Each school will conduct a lottery within five school days of the deadline to select students for available slots. Letters of approval or denial will mailed to each student following the lottery.

For more information call (509) 228-5400. Central Valley schools are closed for spring break until Monday.