Student Admission and Enrolment

Objective

To provide guidance and clarity regarding student admission to the Division, registration processes and enrolment priorities in Division schools.

Definitions

Alternative program is a program with an emphasis on a particular language, culture, religion, subject matter or teaching philosophy.

Attendance area is the geographical area designated to a specific Division school.

Callback list refers to the list of students not selected in the lottery process or who are unable to enrol at a school that has conducted a lottery process. The callback list is used for any spaces that become available on or before the provincial September count date.

Closed boundary exists when the Division determines that a school only accepts new resident students living within the attendance area.

Designated school is the school identified for resident students residing in an attendance area.

Enrolment limit refers to a limit on the number of students enrolled in a school or within a grade or program at a school.

Growth Control Model refers to Division processes to address enrolment growth.

International student is an individual who is not a Canadian citizen and does not meet the provincial requirements for right of access to education.

Lottery process is used to determine which new students are enrolled in and able to attend a school that does not have space for all resident students in the attendance area.

Overflow designated school is the school identified for resident students who are unable to access their designated school as a result of a lottery process.

Parent refers to an individual as defined in the Education Act, S.A. 2012, c.E-0.3, as amended from time to time.

Pre-enrolment is the annual Division process occurring in the spring, in which a parent of a student, or an independent student, identifies their preferred school for the following year. The pre-enrolment deadline is communicated on the Division website.

Program enrolment boundary refers to a geographical area which allows students preferential access to an alternative program at a school.

Random selection is used to determine which new students from outside the school's attendance area have access to the school when enrolment requests exceed available spaces. The random selection is conducted on the date specified in the annual pre-enrolment process. Following a random selection, no callback list is maintained.

Registration is the process that occurs when a student is new to the Division or returns after being enrolled in another division.

Resident student refers to a student as defined in the Education Act, S.A. 2012, c.E-0.3, as amended from time to time.

Secondary attendance area is a geographic area which allows resident students preferential access for a specific school, after students residing in that school's attendance area have been enrolled, and before students from outside of the secondary attendance area.

September count date, as defined by the Alberta Funding Manual for School Authorities issued annually, is the last instructional day in September and refers to the day that student enrolment is counted to ensure a consistent enrolment count across all school authorities.

Sibling refers to the following, in relation to a student:

• Biological, adoptive, step or half siblings.
• Individuals who are part of that student's family while in care of a foster parent under the Alberta Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.

Space in planned classes refers to the maximum number of students in a specific grade or program at a school, based on available classrooms and the principal's instructional organization of the school.

Regulation

1. RIGHT OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION
   1. To be admitted to the Division and have access to education without paying tuition fees, an individual must meet provincial eligibility criteria for a child or student, which refers to an individual who:
      1. Is a Canadian Citizen; or
         1. is lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residents; or
         2. is a child of a Canadian citizen; or
         3. is a child of an individual who is lawfully admitted to Canada as a permanent resident; or
         4. is a child of an individual who is lawfully admitted to Canada as a temporary resident who:
            1. has been issued a study permit and has registered and paid tuition for:
               1. a full-time provincially recognized diploma program or full-time degree program of study that is a minimum of two years in duration; or
               2. a full-time graduate or post-doctoral program of study that is a minimum of one year.
            2. has been issued an employment authorization (work permit) to work temporarily in Canada (e.g., a temporary foreign worker); or
            3. has filed a refugee claim to the Immigration and Refugee board (IRB) within the past year (e.g., a refugee claimant); or
            4. has diplomatic status in Canada.
         5. is a stepchild (who has been issued a study permit) of a temporary foreign worker that is in Canada on a work permit; and who is the biological or adopted child of the temporary foreign worker's spouse or partner; or
         6. is a stepchild of a Canadian citizen and is the biological or adopted child of the Canadian citizen's non-Canadian spouse or partner. The following documentation is required:
            1. proof of application for permanent resident status and fee payment to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); or
            2. valid study permit for the student.
      2. Is a resident of Alberta and has a parent who ordinarily resides in Alberta; or
         1. is an independent student who is between 16 years of age and less than 18 years of age who resides in Alberta and has a parent that resides in Canada; or
         2. is an independent student who is between 18 years of age and less than 20 years of age and who resides in Alberta.
2. AGE OF ELIGIBILITY
   1. A child may be enrolled in a Division Kindergarten program if they are at least five years of age on December 31 of the school year they enter.
   2. A resident student who, on September 1 of a school year, is six years of age or older and who is not yet 20 years of age, is eligible to enrol in a Division school or program.
3. GENERAL PROCEDURES
   1. Only a parent or independent student has the legal authority to make educational decisions for a student, including registering for school. It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that any relevant court order regarding the student is provided to the school.
   2. Registration with the Division requires submitting a completed Division registration form.
      1. The principal will verify the student's legal name and age from a birth certificate, passport or other eligible document. The parent may make a temporary declaration on the condition that documentation is provided within three months.
      2. The principal will obtain satisfactory proof of residence prior to registering a new student to the Division.
   3. For each student enrolled in the school, the principal will obtain annual parent confirmation of enrolment, current address and declaration of each parent as either Roman Catholic or not Roman Catholic.
4. ENROLMENT PRIORITIES
   1. Subject to board policies and administrative regulations, once a student is enrolled in a Division school, the student may continue to attend that school until their program is completed.
   2. There is a general expectation that students complete high school within three years of completing Grade 9. Resident students who are not yet 20 years of age on September 1 may continue their high school program:
      1. at a Division school or program designated to support fourth and fifth year programming; or
      2. in exceptional circumstances, at a Division high school with approval of the principal.
   3. A student enrolled at a Division school as of June 30 of a school year remains the responsibility of that school for the following school year, unless the student has been successfully enrolled in another school.
      1. Principals will endeavour to ensure that all current students participate in the Division's pre-enrolment process prior to the published deadline.
   4. Each Division school is identified as being at either Level 1, 2 or 3 on the Growth Control Model for a given school year, based on criteria including available space in planned classes.
      1. Each school will follow pre-enrolment processes and enrolment priorities for the appropriate level as outlined in this regulation.
      2. Enrolment priorities will be applied to Kindergarten children based on the same process used for resident students of the Division.
      3. For Division schools with entrance criteria, the application of enrolment priorities outlined in this regulation is subject to the student meeting those criteria.
   5. Level 1 schools have the capacity to accept new students. Level 1 schools have open boundaries and, in some cases, may also have a secondary attendance area. Level 1 schools will accept new students for regular programming as follows:
      1. The following students are guaranteed admission during pre-enrolment:
         1. Resident students who live within the attendance area.
         2. Siblings of current students who are returning to the school the following year.
      2. Remaining spaces are filled, including when a random selection process is conducted, in the following order:
         1. Resident students who live in the secondary attendance area, where applicable.
         2. Resident students who live outside the attendance area.
         3. Non-resident students subject to any other requirements as outlined in this regulation.
   6. Level 2 schools are nearing capacity. Some Level 2 schools have a closed boundary based on limited space.
      1. The only new students accepted to a closed boundary school during pre-enrolment are:
         1. Resident students who live within the attendance area.
         2. Siblings of current students who will be returning to the school the following year, unless otherwise determined by the Superintendent for a particular school.
      2. Any Level 2 school that does not have a closed boundary will follow Level 1 enrolment priorities.
   7. Level 3 schools have reached capacity. Enrolment at a Level 3 school is not guaranteed for any new student. If a Level 3 school does not have space for all pre-enrolment requests from resident students living within the school's attendance area, a lottery process will be implemented after the pre-enrolment deadline as follows:
      1. New students will be enrolled, or entered into a lottery process, in the following order:
         1. Resident students living in the attendance area who have a sibling currently attending the school and returning to the school the following year.
         2. Resident students living in the attendance area.
         3. Resident students living outside the attendance area who have a sibling currently attending the school and returning the following year.
      2. New non-resident students are not able to attend a Level 3 school.
      3. Resident students who are selected in the lottery process will be enrolled at the designated school.
      4. Resident students of the attendance area who are not selected in the lottery process may attend the overflow designated school or another Division school with space in planned classes.
         1. When a resident student who was not selected in the lottery process enrols at the overflow designated school, siblings of that student may also attend the overflow designated school.
      5. The list of students for a lottery process is randomized and maintained centrally on a callback list in accordance with Level 3 enrolment priorities.
      6. After the September count date, no further spaces will be offered to students on the callback list and the school is closed for the remainder of the school year to further enrolments in any grade that was subject to a lottery process.
      7. Resident students who newly move into the attendance area, or those who request enrolment following the close of pre-enrolment, and who are unable to attend the school due to a lottery process may attend the overflow designated school or any Division school with space remaining in planned classes. Prior to the September count date, the parent may request the student be added to the callback list.
   8. The Division offers families the choice of a range of alternative programs. Enrolment of new students in any Division alternative program is not guaranteed.
      1.  For schools that offer an alternative program in addition to regular programming, new students are accepted during pre-enrolment in an alternative program in the following order:
         1. Resident students who live in the attendance area, and who are currently in the alternative program in a Division school.
         2. Resident students who live in the attendance area.
         3. Resident students who live in the program enrolment boundary, where applicable.
         4. Siblings of students currently in the alternative program at the school and who will be returning the following year.
         5. Other resident students.
         6. Non-resident students currently enrolled in the same alternative program elsewhere in the Division (notwithstanding Section 8.C below).
         7. Other non-resident students.
      2. For schools that offer only alternative programming (i.e. no regular programming) and do not have a designated attendance area, new students are accepted to the alternative program at the school as follows:
         1. Any student who has a sibling currently enrolled in the program is guaranteed admission to the same program provided both students are attending the same program together the following year.
         2. Remaining spaces are filled, including when a random selection process is conducted, in the following order:
            1. Resident students who live in the program enrolment boundary (where applicable).
            2. Other resident students.
            3. Non-resident students currently enrolled in the alternative program elsewhere in the Division (notwithstanding Section 8.C below).
            4. Other non-resident students.
      3. If the next grade in an alternative program is unavailable at the student’s current school, and the alternative program is offered at the subsequent grade in the Division, students who are currently enrolled in the alternative program in the Division will continue to have access to that program at a new school.
5. AFTER THE CLOSE OF PRE-ENROLMENT: TRANSFERS, MOVES AND NEW REGISTRATIONS 
   1. After the pre-enrolment deadline, requests to enrol in a school other than the one confirmed during the Division pre-enrolment process will be considered where space in planned classes permits. Any Division school that is full in planned classes in a grade of a program, cannot accept any additional students in that specific grade of a program, other than students who are guaranteed admission because they meet one or more of the following:
      
      1. Resident students who newly move into the attendance area after the pre-enrolment deadline (except in the case of a Level 3 school where applicable).
      2. Resident students living the attendance area who were unsuccessful enrolling at another Division school, including those not selected in a random selection process (except in the case of Level 3 school where applicable).
      3. Students currently attending the school who participated in pre-enrolment, but were unsuccessful enrolling at another Division school, including those not selected in a random selection process.
      4. Current Division students who live within the attendance area and who did not participate in pre-enrolment but who cannot remain at their previous school because the grade is not offered (for example when moving from Grade 9 to 10) (except in the case of a Level 3 school where applicable).
      5. Subject to Section D(4), children living within the school’s designated attendance area who are eligible to enter Kindergarten and who are not enrolled at any school (except in the case of a Level 3 school where applicable).
   2. On or before the September count date, new registrations of students currently enrolled in another school division will be considered in Division schools with space in planned classes.
   3. After the September count date, any new registration of a student who is not newly moved to Edmonton and who is requesting a transfer from another school division, requires Superintendent approval.
6. ADMISSION OF OTHER STUDENTS
   
   1. International students may be admitted annually to the Division, on a tuition basis, according to established criteria.
      1. Enrolment of international students who are new to a school, will be subject to available space in planned classes.
      2. Once an international student is enrolled in a school they may continue to attend that school until their program is completed, provided they meet any eligibility criteria.
   2. An exchange student may be registered as a student in the Division under an Alberta Education Reciprocal Student Exchange agreement. Any such agreements are subject to approval of the principal and the Superintendent based on available resources and space in planned classes.
   3. A principal may approve a request for an unregistered student to attend a school as a visitor, provided:
      1. The visit does not exceed three weeks.
      2. The visit does not interfere with school operations, and is compatible with available classes.
      3. The visiting student agrees to expectations related to student conduct as outlined in the school's Student Rights and Responsibilities document.
      4. The visiting student is not evaluated for marks or high school credits.
   4. Sponsorship or Board approved tuition fees are required to be paid prior to the following individuals attending a Division school:
      1. International children or students.
         1. Tuition fees will be charged based on full-time attendance, and are non-refundable unless the student is denied admission to the Division, does not obtain a study permit or they provide proof of right of access to education prior to the September count date.
      2. Children or students who are Canadian citizens but who do not have a parent who is a resident of Alberta.
      3. Students who are 20 years of age or older on September 1 in that school year.
      4. Children or students funded by Indigenous Services Canada who are living on-reserve or who are boarded in Edmonton by the reserve or Indigenous Services Canada.
      5. Non-resident students whose school division enters into a sponsorship agreement with the Division because the resident division is not able to provide programming for the student.
      6. Children or students who are the subject of a contract in which an educational agency is purchasing service from the Division.
      7. Non-resident students who may necessitate additional funding from their resident board.

References