Resident Student Enrolment

Purpose

To outline the Board of Trustees’ (Board) direction for the enrolment of resident students in Division schools, in accordance with the Education Act, S.A. 2012, c.E-0.3, as may be amended from time to time.

Definitions

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

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

Growth control processes refer to Division processes to manage enrolment growth. 

Resident student includes a student who has at least one parent or legal guardian living in Edmonton who is not Roman Catholic and any other student who is defined as a resident student in Section 4 of the Education Act, as may be amended from time to time.

Non-resident Student refers to any student who does not meet the criteria for a resident student.

Overflow designated school is the school identified for resident students who are unable to access their designated school, in alignment with the Division’s growth control processes. 

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.

Policy

The Board endeavours to provide resident students and their families a range of school and program enrolment choices while also providing high-quality learning environments for all students. In addition, the Board expects the Division to be responsive to varying enrolment pressures across attendance areas while ensuring that processes to manage enrolment are consistent, equitable, transparent and sustainable. 

Subject to the Division’s growth control processes and Section 10 the Education Act, as may be amended from time to time, a resident student will be enrolled in their designated school or another Division school requested by their parent/guardian. If, in the opinion of the Superintendent of Schools, there are not sufficient resources and facilities available to enrol a student in their preferred school, the student may attend their overflow designated school or another Division school with space in planned classes, in alignment with the Division’s growth control processes. The Superintendent of Schools will outline growth control processes through an administrative regulation addressing enrolment.

The Board believes that, to support consistency for families, attendance areas should ideally be kept as consistent as possible from year to year. However, the Board also recognizes that, in response to changing contexts, changes to attendance areas are sometimes necessary. The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for: 

• Establishing school attendance areas.
• Reviewing attendance areas in response to emerging contexts that may necessitate change (including, but not limited to, the opening of a new school).
• Informing the Board of any modifications to attendance areas and ensuring any changes are communicated to families.

Accountability

The Superintendent of Schools will be responsible for implementing this policy through appropriate regulations and communication with the Board of Trustees and Division stakeholders, including staff, students and parents/guardians.

References