Elementary

Elementary School Placement & Flex Zone Procedures

This document outlines the operational procedures for elementary school placement within the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD). These procedures ensure instructional equity, balance enrollment, and maintain consistent class sizes across all campuses.

I. Standard Placement Methodology & Default Placement

The district assigns students to schools using a systematic geographic approach to provide stability for enrollment planning.

• Geographic Defaults: Every residential address within the district is assigned a "geographic default" school based on official residence maps adopted by the School Committee. Families can identify their school assignment using this online GIS platform.
   
• Default Enrollment: In standard circumstances where no enrollment imbalance exists, a student is placed in their geographic default school.
   
• Operational Priority: While the district provides newly enrolled families in specific zones the opportunity to express a preference, the final placement decision of newly enrolled families is driven by class size equity, school utilization, and the feasibility of efficient transportation.
   
• Proactive Balancing: Placement is a dynamic, year-round process. Assignment of newly registered students is considered for current class size deviations (more than one student from the district average) and when forecasted enrollment suggests a potential imbalance. Once students are placed in a school they would not be subject to reassignment except in cases where participation in a specialized program requires it (see Section III).  

II. Kindergarten Enrollment

• Eligibility: To be eligible for Kindergarten enrollment, children must meet the district's age requirements by the established cutoff date.
   
• Flex Zone Identification: During the registration process, any address located within a Flex Zone will be clearly identified for the family.
   
• Preference Opportunity: Kindergarten families in Flex Zones have the opportunity to indicate which of the two assigned schools best meets their needs.
   
• Registration Deadlines: Families are encouraged to register during the initial Kindergarten registration window to ensure their preference is considered during the first round of enrollment balancing.
   
• Placement Notification: Families will be notified of their Kindergarten school assignment according to the notification timeline based on their registration date (see Section VI).

III. Placement for Specialized Program Enrollment

Students requiring specific district-wide specialized programs are placed according to the location of that program.

• Program-Based Placement: Students enrolled in a specialized program will be placed in the school where that specific program is hosted.
   
• Sibling Rights: The family of a student in a specialized program has the right to have all siblings (grades K-6) attend the same school where the program is held to ensure family unity.
   
• Transportation: The District provides transportation for the student in the specialized program and any siblings attending the same campus.
   
• Binding Decision: Once a family makes a decision regarding the placement of siblings under this provision, the decision is final and cannot be changed.

IV. Dual Residency and Custodial Arrangements

For students residing in two different households within the district due to parents having equal physical custody, the following placement procedures apply:

• Determination of Legal Residence: School placement is based on the single "geographic default" address identified as the primary legal residence for educational purposes.
   
• Documentation Requirement: Initial placement and any subsequent changes to the designated residence must be supported by official court documents indicating a change in custodial arrangement.

V. Residential Moves Within the District

The impact of a residential move on school placement depends on the location of the new home and the timing of the move:

• Mid-Year Move Options to a different school zone:
  • Immediate Transfer: Families may elect to transfer the student immediately to the new geographic placement.
  • Current School Maintenance: Families may elect to keep their child in their current school for the remainder of the active academic year.  The student would then enroll in the new school assignment at the start of the following year. 
     
• Moving Within the Same Flex Zone: Families who move to a new residence within the same geographic Flex Zone will not be subject to a potential change in school placement, as they remain within the same geographic zone.
   
• Moving Between Different Flex Zones: Families moving to a different Flex Zone that does not include their student’s current school assignment are subject to the Flex Zone policy. A flex assignment to an alternate campus may occur based on the determination of operational need and class-size equity at that time. If a family moves to a flex zone where their student’s current school assignment is one of the two options, their placement will not change.
   
• Transportation Requirement: If a family remains in their current school after moving outside its geographic boundary, the District will not provide transportation; the family must provide their own. This would not apply to students who are provided transportation as a related service listed on their IEP.
   
• Mandatory Transition: Students remaining in their current school after a move must transition to their new geographic placement at the start of the following school year.

VI. Notification Timeline for Flex Zone Assignments

Families residing in Flex Zone addresses will be informed of their specific school assignment based on their date of registration:

Final Authority: The final decision regarding school assignment for students in these zones rests with the Superintendent of Schools or their designee and is not subject to appeal.

VII. Flex Zone Methodology & Preferences

• Preference Collection: During registration, families in a Flex Zone can indicate which of the two assigned schools best meets their needs.
   
• Prioritization of Volunteers: The district identifies "volunteers" willing to move to the alternate campus. These families are prioritized for reassignment first to meet operational needs while minimizing impact on those preferring their geographic default.
   
• Lottery System: If voluntary requests exceed available space, a grade-level lottery is conducted. This lottery considers demographic diversity, sibling access, and the minimization of transportation burdens.
   
• Involuntary Flexing: Reassignment to a flex school for a family without a preference only occurs if no other families in that specific grade level expressed a preference to move.

VIII. Sibling and Return Policies

• Non-Separation: The district is committed to keeping siblings together at the same elementary school.
   
• Definition of Sibling: "Siblings" refers exclusively to students simultaneously enrolled in grades K-6 who reside in the same legal residence. Students in 7th grade or higher are not counted as elementary siblings for flex assignments.
   
• Multiple Sibling Flexes: If a family requests a flex for multiple siblings to a non-default school, placement is handled on a space-available, student-by-student basis and is not guaranteed for all.
   
• Return Policy: Families flexed to an alternate school do not have a unilateral right to return to their geographic default. Return requests must be submitted to the Superintendent for review.

IX. Geographic Flex Zone Descriptions

• North Acton Flex Zone: Residences in North Acton along Rt. 27; students may be flexed to either Acton campus based on location.
   
• South Acton Flex Zone: South of Central St/Rt 27 and West of Rt 27; the default assignment is the Parker Damon Building, with a flex option to the Boardwalk Campus.
   
• West Acton Flex Zone: Along the Boxborough border and North of Rt. 2; the default assignment is Blanchard Memorial School, with a flex option to the Boardwalk Campus.
   
• East Boxborough Flex Zone: Includes residences on the eastern side of Boxborough; default assignment is Blanchard Memorial School, with a flex option to the Boardwalk Campus.

Note on South Acton: For families entering the district after July 1, 2026, students in this zone may also be flexed to Blanchard Memorial School if enrollment at both Parker Damon and Boardwalk campuses exceeds capacity while Blanchard remains below sustainable levels.

These documents are required as a part of the pre-registration process.

• Proof of Residency Affidavit
• Proof of Residency—One item from each column on the affidavit: A, B and C. (If you are unable to provide an item from column B because you just moved, you can follow up later.)
• Declaracion jurada de residencia en espanol
• Declaracao de residencia em portugues
• Student birth certificate, which must be translated into English 
• Medical Records from your family doctor including:​​​​​​​
  • All medical records, both physical and immunization records, are the responsibility of the parent to be translated into English by a medical professional.
  • School Health Record Form: A copy of your child's last complete physical examination, which must be translated into English by parent
  • Certification of Immunizations (follow this link.)
• A copy of the last IEP (Individual Education Plan) if applicable

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