SUMMARY OF INFORMATION TO PARENTS
Re:  ELEMENTARY OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE

The Halton District School Board encourages elementary students to attend the school designated for families in their area.  The Halton Board, however, provides to students who are residents in the Halton region the opportunity to apply for enrolment in a Halton school outside their regular school attendance area in schools where there are sufficient pupil places to accommodate them.  This is referred to as optional attendance.

The Elementary Optional Attendance process allows schools with physical space to accept students. The process allows for open schools to consider students before the Ministry-mandated Primary Class size and Early Learning Plan is applied during staffing, resulting in a greater chance of approval and earlier notification.
For the purpose of this Administrative Procedure, ‘Kindergarten’ means Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten.
Students granted optional attendance are not eligible for Board transportation.
Optional attendance does not apply to students placed by an IPRC or students attending English as a Second Language collector school programs. 

The optional attendance process in elementary schools is initiated by contacting the Principal of your home school.  The Principal will provide an application form and further information.  The approval of optional attendance requests is dependent upon:
· school is designated as an Open School;
· compliance to Primary Class Size* caps is achieved;
· compliance to Ministry Early Learning Plan;
· availability of pupil spaces and class size guidelines;
· no new class would have to be created;
· no need to hire additional staff or increase instructional resources;
· no displacing of students to an alternative class placement;
· no additional costs to the Board;
· babysitting/daycare (alone) may not be a reason for granting a request.

* Please note:  The Halton District School Board is required to meet parameters set out by the Ministry of Education.  The Board is required to ensure 90 percent of their primary classes (JK to Grade 3 inclusive) are at a ratio of 20:1 or less, with the remaining 10 percent of primary classes having an average maximum class size of 23:1.  Principals may not consider optional attendance into Primary classes that have reached or are approaching the Primary class size cap.

Click here for a list of open schools for the 2010-2011 school year.

Appeals
Appeals to reconsider an application are permitted in situations where “extraordinary circumstances” need to be assessed.  Appeals are to be submitted by parents, in writing, to the Superintendent(s) of Education of the requested school with a copies to the home school and requested school Principal within 10 days of notification of application denied.  The Superintendent(s) of Education makes decisions regarding appeals, in consultation with the Principals involved, and communicates decisions in writing to the applicant and the schools.  The decision of the Superintendent is final.

Parents are not required to reapply each year after approval. However, all optional attendance requests granted are subject to renewal annually.