Schools ◊ Jobs ◊ Parents ◊ FAQs ◊ Forms ◊ Newcomers ◊ Lunch Menus

Student Assignment Process

Each student enrolled in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is assigned to the school of his/her grade level serving the attendance area in which the student's parent(s) or court-appointed custodian is domiciled (lives/resides). Each student also has the option of applying for admission to a magnet or calendar option program at the school serving the area in which the parent(s) or court-appointed custodian is domiciled (lives/resides).

Assignment of students to schools is based upon the following:

School assignment according to domicile address of parent(s) or court-appointed custodian
Discovery and development of individual student's gifts and talents
Parent choice of the appropriate educational program for the child
Appropriate and reasonable diversity (WCPSS's goal is that individual schools reflect a free and reduced lunch ratio no greater than 40% of its student population and an achievement level of less than 25% of students below grade level)
Efficient use of facilities

Assignment Process

Determining School Assignment

Information on school assignment can be determined by accessing the this website, calling the Office of Growth and Planning at (919) 850-1921 or the Customer Service Center at (919) 850-1600 or contacting a nearby school.

Enrolling Students (Routine)

After determining school assignment, the parent(s) or court-appointed custodian should present the following items directly to the school regardless of grade level of student (the same information is needed for enrollment of new kindergarten students):

Proof of address in the form of a recently dated electric, gas, or water bill, OR a newly signed lease agreement in the name of the parent or court-appointed custodian. Telephone, cable television bills and drivers' license do not qualify.
A certified copy of the child's birth certificate
Immunization record
A copy of the most recent report card or school transcript (if available)
If transferring in from another school system, a completed Discipline Status Enrollment Form is required.

If the parent(s) or court-appointed custodian and student live with another Wake County resident where the base school assignment is a TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, the following additional documentation is required:

A notarized statement regarding shared residency, signed by both parent or court-appointed custodian AND residence provider (form available at the school)
Proof of address for residence provider

If the parent(s) or court-appointed custodian and student live with another Wake County resident where the base school assignment is an APPLICATION SCHOOL, should contact the Office of Growth and Planning for instructions.

Parents or court-appointed custodians with an established Wake County domicile who have an offer to purchase contract on a new home with a closing date during the school year may request a transfer to the base school for this future address. If the closing date is within forty-five days the parent or court-appointed custodian may complete a transfer request, attach a copy of the completed offer to purchase contract, and present it directly to the future school. If the closing date is more than forty-five days away, the parent or court-appointed custodian may submit a transfer request with a copy of the offer to purchase contract to the Office of Growth and Planning. For all "future move" transfers, the original Wake County domicile will be used as the student's address of record. Once the family has moved into their new home, the parent or court-appointed custodian should present final proof of this new home in the form of a current water, gas, or electric bill in their name OR the recent settlement statement for the new home. The student's address of record will be updated at that time.

Enrolling Students (Non-Routine)

In the following instances, persons wishing to enroll students in WCPSS should contact the Office of Growth and Planning for instructions:

Parent(s) or court-appointed custodian and student live with another Wake County resident where the base school assignment is an application school.
Student lives with persons other than parent or court-appointed custodian
Parent(s) or court-appointed custodian lives outside Wake County and wishes student to attend a WCPSS school

Kindergarten Enrollment

Kindergarten registration for the 2007-2008 school year will begin on Thursday, February 1, 2007. Students who are five years of age on or before October 16, 2007, may be registered at any elementary school; assignment, however, is determined by domicile address of parent(s) or court-appointed custodian.

Magnet Program/Calendar Option Application Process

Any student enrolled in the WCPSS is eligible to apply to one of the magnet programs/calendar option schools. To apply, students not enrolled in WCPSS must pre-register for the next grade level at the base school by meeting registration requirements.

For detailed information about Magnet Programs, please visit our Magnet Programs Resource Center.

For calendar options, families based in a traditional calendar school may apply for an identified year-round calendar school. Likewise, families based in a year-round calendar school may apply for an identified traditional calendar school.

Completing The Application

All magnet and calendar applications must be submitted online at www.wcpss.net between February 12 - 28, 2007. Paper applications will not be available. No applications will be accepted after deadline. Please contact your student's school, the Magnet Resource Center (501-7900) or the Office of Growth and Planning if you need assistance submitting your application. All families will have the opportunity to choose and submit an application up to three magnet choices OR a calendar application OROR for Partnership Elementary OR complete all three applications.

Application Notification

All applicants will receive written notification via US Mail around March 15, 2007. If selected, make your decision - all offered seats are the student's assigned seat for the 2007-08 school year. The office of Growth and Planning must receive your decline of offered seat by April 13, 2007 if you choose not to accept the seat.

Applicants not initially selected for a seat remain in the applicant pool. As vacancies occur, additional applicants may be selected to fill these vacancies. This process continues through the first ten days of school.

Criteria for Selection

Applications are selected through a random process using the following criteria:

Transportation patterns
Siblings
School capacity
Classroom capacity
Diversity
Present magnet/calendar option status of applicant

Magnet Program/Calendar Option Application Facts

There is no appeal for a denial to a magnet program/calendar option program.
Students will receive only one offer to a magnet program/calendar option.
Vacancies that occur between notification in March and the first ten days of school will be filled from the original applicant pool. No waiting list is maintained.
After June 1, students assigned into a magnet or calendar option school must remain at that school for the entire 2007-2008 school year.

Continuation to Remain in a Magnet/Calendar Option Program

Students admitted into a program magnet or calendar option school may remain at the same school through that particular grade configuration (i.e., K-5, 6-8, 9-12) without submitting another application. The Continuation Intent Form for Magnet and Calendar option students will be sent so that the parent(s) or court-appointed custodian can indicate the student's desire to remain in the program. Students wishing to return to the base school should so indicate on the Continuation Intent Form.

The Continuation Intent Form for Magnet and Calendar Options also serves as the magnet/year-round application for siblings entering kindergarten, Grades 6 and 9 who wish to be admitted to the same program in which an older sibling is continuing.

Parent(s) or court-appointed custodian should sign and return the Continuation Intent Form for Magnet and Calendar Options to the school by the date requested.

Official Notification of School Assignment

All WCPSS students will receive official notification of their 2007-2008 school assignment on May 15, 2007.

Back to Base Requests

Any student attending a school other than their assigned school based on their domicile, desiring to return to their base school must complete a Request for Transfer form during the transfer window May 15 - June 1, 2007. All back to base requests made between May 15 - June 1 2007, will receive automatic approval. After June 1, 2007, Request for Transfers to return to the base school will not be approved.

Transfer Process

Students wishing to request a transfer to a different school may do so by completing and sending to the Office of Growth and Planning the Request for Transfer (2007-2008 School Year). These forms are available beginning May 15, 2007, in all schools, at the Customer Service Center and the Office of Growth and Planning or from this Website . Parent(s) or court-appointed custodian will receive written notification regarding approval or denial of transfer requests within seven to ten working days following receipt in the Office of Growth and Planning.

Transfer Guidelines

Requests for transfer are reviewed and appropriate decisions made based on the reason(s) for request, capacity in both assigned school and requested school(s) and school profile in both assigned and requested school(s) and in accordance with Board of Education Policy.

Transfer requests should be made between May 15 and June 1, 2007
Only one transfer per student is granted each year.
Parents provide transportation to and from school for transfer students.
Students receiving transfers must remain in the school to which they have been transferred for the entire 2007-2008 school year.
High school students on transfer waive the right to participate in athletic activities for 365 days per transfer policy 6203.
Participation in the Transfer Process does not alter your status in the magnet/calendar option applicant pool.
Students must remain in good standing to remain at a school as a transfer student.

Appeal of Denied Transfer

Transfer requests submitted between May 15 and June 1, 2007 that are denied by the Office of Growth and Planning may be appealed to the Board of Education. To appeal the denial of a transfer request, submit a written statement requesting a hearing (following the guidelines in the denial letter) to the Office of Growth and Planning by the date noted on the denial letter. After submission of the request for a hearing the following will occur:

The parent(s) or court-appointed custodian will receive notification of the day and time to present the appeal to a panel of the Board of Education
At the hearing the parent(s), court-appointed custodian or parent representative will be given two minutes to present the appeal to the Board panel; additional information/materials to support the appeal may also be presented.
A quorum of the Board of Education will meet to consider all appeals presented on a given day.
Written notification of the Board of Education decision is mailed to the parents.

Requests to reschedule an appeal may or may not be granted.

The appeal to the Board of Education is the final step in the transfer process.

Moving During the School Year

Address and telephone changes should be submitted to the school at the time they occur. Parent(s) or court-appointed custodians should present appropriate address verification. A transfer request may be submitted to remain at the current school for the remainder of the school year. The parent(s) or court-appointed custodian provides the transportation for students attending a school on transfer. The student will be automatically assigned to his/her new base school for the 2007-2008 school year.

Reassignment Process

Factors Considered in Reassignment

Due to changing demographics and the influx of new families in to Wake County, the development of a reassignment plan is an ongoing process. These major factors provide the framework for reassignment:

The opening of new schools
Crowding at existing schools
Year-Round expansion/conversion
School facility improvement/expansion
Transportation - travel time
Magnet transportation offerings
Diversity indicators:
- socioeconomic indicators using the percentage of students who qualify for free/reduced priced lunch
- growth trends over the past years
- academic achievement as reflected by reading scores for students in Grades 3-8

While the school district believes strongly that racial diversity within its schools enhance the education of all students, race is not a factor in assignment of students.

The Board of Education approved the following process for development of the reassignment plan:

Appointment of a citizen(s) Growth and Planning Advisory Committee
Community Engagement Meetings
On-going input from parents and community
On-going input from school administrators
Publication of proposed plan
Parent and community feedback on proposed plan
Revision of proposed plan
Presentation to Board of Education
Public hearings on the proposed plan
Board approval of reassignment plan

Miscellaneous Information

Capped School

As needed to control and stabilize growth in student membership at overcrowded schools, the Board may temporarily establish a maximum student membership (cap) with the designation of an alternate school assignment with transportation provided for students ineligible to attend the capped school

The decision to institute a membership cap for a school will be made no later than May 1 prior to the beginning of the school year. Board approval for continuation of a membership cap in a school will occur no later than April 1 of the following year. (Brassfield Elementary, and Pleasant Union Elementary) were capped for the 2006-2007 school year.

Express Transportation

In order to lessen ride time, express transportation is provided to some magnet students. When express transportation is provided, the magnet student is picked up and dropped off at a selected stop (i.e., school campuses, YMCAs, regional libraries, etc.) and transported to the assigned school. Parents are responsible for transporting students to and from the express stop.

Board Policies: 6011, 6200, 6201, 6202, 6203, 6204