Administrative Procedure 301

STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN SCHOOLS Background The District is required to follow the Alberta ​School Act​, RSA 2000, c S-3, respecting enrollment of students in District schools. The District sets certain age minimums and maximums for enrollment. The ​School Act​ includes two key concepts respecting enrollment: residency and attendance areas. Residency concerns Catholic baptismal status and the boundaries of the District as a whole. Attendance areas concern each particular attendance area that the District establishes for each particular school within the District as a whole. A resident student of the District as a whole is a student who: (1) is baptized Catholic or has a parent or guardian who is baptized Catholic; ​and​ (2) has a parent or guardian who lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole. A non-resident student of the District as a whole is: (1) a student who is not baptized Catholic and who has no parent or guardian who is baptized Catholic, even if the student has a parent or guardian who lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole; ​or​ (2) a student who has no parent or guardian who lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole, even if the student is baptized Catholic or has a parent or guardian who is baptized Catholic. A resident student can live primarily in or outside of a school’s attendance area. Similarly, a non-resident student can live primarily in or outside of a school’s attendance area. Based on the above, there are four main categories of students: ● ● ● ●

resident student of the District as a whole who lives primarily in a school’s attendance area resident student of the District as a whole who lives primarily outside of a school’s attendance area non-resident student of the District as a whole who lives primarily in a school’s attendance area non-resident student of the District as a whole who lives primarily outside of a school’s attendance area

A school establishes enrollment priorities when, in the opinion of the District, there are insufficient resources and facilities available to accommodate all parents who are seeking to enroll their children in a school. Resident students generally receive enrollment priority over all non-resident Students. Resident students who live primarily in a school’s attendance area generally receive enrollment priority over resident students who live primarily outside of the school’s attendance area. Finally, non-resident students who live primarily in a school’s

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 1 of 7

attendance area generally receive enrollment priority over non-resident students who live primarily outside of the school’s attendance area. The District’s St. John Reception Centre processes the enrollment of all resident and non-resident students who were born outside Canada. The Reception Centre also processes all applications to enroll non-resident students who live primarily outside Alberta. Definitions For the purposes of this Administrative Procedure: “Catholic” includes Roman Catholics and members of Eastern Catholic rites (all 24 Churches ​sui iuris​), Latin Rite Ordinariates erected for former Anglicans and Protestants, Orthodox (Eastern and Oriental) Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East; “District” means the Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1; and “parent” includes legal guardian. Procedures 1.

Enrollment in schools 1.1.

A parent who seeks to enroll a student born in Canada must satisfy to the principal of the school the following three points: 1.1.1. the age of the student, in accordance with section 2 of this Administrative Procedure; 1.1.2. whether the student is a resident of the District as a whole, in accordance with section 3 of this Administrative Procedure; and 1.1.3. whether the student lives primarily in the school’s attendance area, in accordance with section 4 of this Administrative Procedure.

1.2.

2.

A parent who seeks to enroll a student born outside Canada must do so at the District’s St. John Reception Centre and satisfy to the Reception Centre’s enrollment staff the three points listed under 1.1 of this Administrative Procedure.

Age 2.1.

A parent who seeks to enroll a student must provide a copy of the student’s birth certificate.

2.2.

Only an area superintendent, area director, or designated personnel working at the Reception Centre may authorize an exemption to 2.1 of this Administrative Procedure, and he or she may do so only if: 2.2.1. the exemption is reasonably necessary in the circumstances; and 2.2.2. the parent seeking to enroll the student provides a copy of documentation similar to a birth certificate that proves the age of the student.

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 2 of 7

3.

2.3.

A principal may enroll a student in grade 1 in a school year ​only if​ the student will be at least 6 years old on March 1 of that school year.

2.4.

A principal must not enroll a student in any grade in a school year if the student will be 20 years old or older on September 1 of that school year.

Residency of the District as a whole 3.1.

A principal must conclude that a student is a resident of the District as a whole if the following two conditions are met: 3.1.1. at least one of the student’s parents lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole, in accordance with 3.2 of this Administrative Procedure; and 3.1.2. the student or at least one of the student’s parents is Catholic, in accordance with 3.3 of this Administrative Procedure.

4.

5.

3.2.

When considering whether a parent lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole, the principal must require the parent to provide documentation that shows that the parent lives primarily within the boundaries of the District as a whole.

3.3.

When considering whether a student or a parent is Catholic, the principal must request (but not require) the parent to provide a copy of a baptismal certificate for the student record; however, the principal must record and accept the parent’s oral or written statement that the parent is Catholic if the parent refuses the request.

Attendance areas of schools 4.1.

The District must establish an attendance area for each school and make this information publically available on the District’s website.

4.2.

When considering whether a student lives primarily in a school’s attendance area, the principal must require a parent to provide documentation that shows that the student lives primarily with the parent in the school’s attendance area.

Enrollment and Catholicity 5.1.

Before a principal may enroll any student, the principal must ensure that at least one of the student’s parents has completed the part of the District’s student registration form that states that the parent acknowledges that he or she: 5.1.1. understands that Catholicity permeates all District schools; 5.1.2. understands that all students who are enrolled in District schools are expected to participate in Catholic liturgies and celebrations from time to time; 5.1.3. respects and supports the practice of the Catholic faith in the District.

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 3 of 7

6.

7.

8.

Enrollment deadlines 6.1.

The deadline to enroll a student in any of grades 1 to 9 in any particular school year is September 30 of that school year.

6.2.

The deadline to enroll a student in any of grades 10 to 12 in any particular semester is the last school day before the first school day of that semester.

6.3.

Subject to sections 7, 8, and 9 of this Administrative Procedure, a principal may enroll a student either before or after the enrollment deadline.

Change in residency of ​the District as a whole​ during a school year 7.1.

If after the commencement of a school year, a ​resident​ student of the District as a whole no longer meets the conditions to be a resident student of the District as a whole, then the student’s parent may designate the student to remain a resident of the District as a whole only for the remainder of that school year, after which time, the student’s parent may seek to re-enroll the student as a non-resident student of the District as a whole.

7.2.

If after the commencement of a school year, a ​non-resident​ student of the District as a whole meets the conditions to become a resident student of the District as a whole, then the student’s parent may designate the student to become a resident student of the District as a whole, at which time the student’s parent may seek to re-enroll the student as a resident student of the District as a whole.

7.3.

Notwithstanding any change in a student’s residency of the District as a whole after the commencement of a school year, a principal may deny enrollment of the student in accordance with sections 9 and 10 of this Administrative Procedure after consulting with an area superintendent or area director.

Change in living in a school’s ​attendance area​ during a school year 8.1.

If after the commencement of a school year, ​a resident or a non-resident​ student of the District as a whole stops living primarily in a school’s attendance area, then the student’s parent may maintain the student’s enrollment in the school only for the remainder of that school year, after which time, the student’s parent may seek to re-enroll the student as, depending on the circumstances, a resident or a non-resident student of the District as a whole who does not live primarily in the school’s attendance area.

8.2.

If after the commencement of a school year, ​a resident or a non-resident​ student of the District as a whole starts living primarily in a school’s attendance area, then at that time, the student’s parent may seek to enroll the student in the school as, depending on the circumstances, a resident or a non-resident student of the District as a whole who lives primarily in the school’s attendance area.

8.3.

Notwithstanding any change in whether a resident or a non-resident student of the District as a whole lives primarily in a school’s attendance area after the commencement of a school year, a principal may deny enrollment of the student

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 4 of 7

in accordance with sections 9 and 10 of this Administrative Procedure after consulting with an area superintendent or area director. 9.

Sufficiency of resources and facilities and enrollment priorities 9.1.

The District must decide, at any given time, whether there are sufficient resources and facilities available to accommodate a student whose parent is seeking to enroll the student in a school by considering: 9.1.1. the school’s resources and facilities, which can be affected by the number of students who enrolled in the school before the enrollment deadline; 9.1.2. the District’s resources and facilities, which can include general staffing and specialized programming; and 9.1.3. the District’s obligations under the ​School Act​ to provide for the transportation of students to and from the sites of schools.

9.2.

If in the opinion of the District, there are ​sufficient​ resources and facilities to accommodate all students whose parents are seeking to enroll the students in a school at any given time, then the principal must enroll all the students who are entitled to have access to an education program under the ​School Act​ without regard to whether any student is a resident of the District as a whole or lives primarily in the attendance area for the school.

9.3.

If in the opinion of the District, there are ​insufficient​ resources and facilities to accommodate all students whose parents are seeking to enroll the students in a school at any given time, then the principal must prioritize enrollment based on the following descending list of prioritization, such that each student in a higher priority category is enrolled before any student in a lower priority category is enrolled: Category 1:

resident students of the District as a whole who live primarily in the school’s attendance area

Category 2:

resident students of the District as a whole who live primarily outside the school’s attendance area

Category 3:

non-resident students of the District as a whole who live primarily in the school’s attendance area and are entitled to have access to an education program under the ​School Act

Category 4:

non-resident students of the District as a whole who live primarily outside of the attendance area of the school but are entitled to have access to an education program under the ​School Act

Category 5:

non-resident students of the District as a whole who are not entitled to have access to an education program under the ​School Act

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 5 of 7

9.4.

10.

An area superintendent or area director may create additional prioritization sub-categories under 9.3 of this Administrative Procedure (for example, whether a sibling is already enrolled at the school, the distance between the site of the school and where the student lives primarily, ​etc.​), in which case, the principal must make that information publically available on the District’s website.

Denial of enrollment 10.1.

A principal may deny a parent’s request to enroll a student in a school only in either one of the following two circumstances: 10.1.1. a parent seeks to enroll a student in a particular school year or semester after the enrollment deadline for that school year or semester ​and​ the student was previously enrolled in another school district or division in that same school year; or 10.1.2. a parent seeks to enroll a student at any time, and in the opinion of the District, there are insufficient resources and facilities to accommodate the student.

10.2.

11.

12.

If a principal denies a parent’s request to enroll a student at any time, and the student is a ​resident​ student of the District as a whole, then the District must provide the parent with the option to enroll the student in at least one other school operated by the District.

Grade and school advancement 11.1.

Each principal must allow all students enrolled in a school to advance from one grade to the next grade in that same school without any reassessment of the students’ enrollment priority.

11.2.

Before a principal may allow any student to advance from the last grade in a school to the first grade in any other school (elementary to junior to senior high school), the principal must reassess the student’s enrollment priority at the time of the possible advancement.

Students not entitled to an education program under the ​School Act 12.1.

The District’s International Student Department and St. John Reception Centre must make all decisions in respect of the enrollment of each student not entitled to an education program under the ​School Act​, which includes students who live primarily outside Alberta but in Canada (“extra-provincial students”) and students who live primarily outside Canada (“international students”).

12.2.

The deadline to apply to enroll an extra-provincial or international student in any of grades 1 to 9 in any given school year is May 1 of the preceding school year.

12.3.

The deadline to apply to enroll an extra-provincial or international student in any of grades 10 to 12 in:

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 6 of 7

12.3.1. the fall semester is May 1 of the preceding semester; and 12.3.2. the winter semester is November 1 of the preceding semester. 12.4.

The District may deny an application to enroll an extra-provincial or international student if the following two conditions are met: 12.4.1. the student will be younger than 12 years old on the first day the student will attend the school; and 12.4.2. the student will not reside with the student’s parent while attending the school.

12.5.

The District must deny an application to enroll an extra-provincial or international student if, while the student attends the school, the student will not reside with an adult with whom the District can communicate all information the District would otherwise communicate to the student’s parent.

12.6.

Each application to enroll an extra-provincial or international student must include copies of the following documents, each translated into English if the original is not written in English: 12.6.1. the student’s birth certificate; 12.6.2. the student’s most recent report card or transcript of grades; and 12.6.3. all immigration, residency, and study permit documents that may be required by the Government of Canada at the time of the application.

12.7.

The District may, in accordance with the ​School Act​, charge tuition fees in respect of an extra-provincial or international student.

12.8.

All applicable extra-provincial and international tuition fees must be paid in full to the District’s central office accounting department before the District will send the applicant a final acceptance letter that confirms enrollment of the student.

12.9.

Only the Secretary-Treasurer may reduce or waive a tuition fee for an extra-provincial or international student, and he or she may do so only if it is reasonably warranted because of unique circumstances or severe hardships.

12.10. Any acceptance letter that confirms enrollment of an extra-provincial or international student is valid only for a maximum of one school year or two high school semesters, after which time, the District must receive a new application to re-enroll the extra-provincial or international student.

Approval Date:

December 14, 2017

References:

School Act​, RSA 2000, c S-3

Calgary Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 1 Administrative Procedures Manual

December 2017 Page 7 of 7