Skip To Main Content

Non-Resident Student Admissions

Athens City Schools Board of Education may allow students residing outside the system to attend Athens City Schools on a case-by-case basis. The following document outlines the ACS Board Policy regarding non-resident student admissions. Important notice for non-resident applicants: A copy of the child's last report card must be submitted with the non-resident application. For more information, please contact Mike O'Rear in Student Services at 256.233.6600.

Non-Resident Admission Policy

ATHENS CITY SCHOOLS NON-RESIDENT STUDENT ADMISSIONS – POLICY JBCB


The Athens City Board of Education recognizes that a child must generally be a bona fide resident in the area served by the School System in order to attend its schools. However, the Board of Education, upon the Superintendent's recommendation, may allow students residing outside the area served by the school system to attend Athens City Schools in certain situations as discussed herein. The Superintendent and Board may establish criteria for the admission of such non-resident students and may also require the payment of tuition in connection with their admission. The school system does not provide transportation to and from school or homebound instruction outside of the Athens City School attendance zones.


Admission of Non-Resident Students


Requests for admission by parents, guardians, or custodians of students who do not reside in the Athens City Schools district, but who wish to enroll their child in the school system as Non-Resident Students will be considered by the Superintendent if:
  1. The non-resident enrollment is for educational reasons;
  2. The parents, guardians, or custodians provide any transportation to and from school; and
  3. The parents, guardians or custodians pay any non-resident student tuition fee in a timely manner as established by the Athens City Schools Board of Education.

The Superintendent and Board have the discretion to accept or deny the request for enrollment of Non-Resident Students. Their decision whether to accept a Non-Resident Student may be based on consideration of the following factors, as well any other factor which could show that the student's admission would have a positive or adverse impact on the school system:
  1. Whether the student is in good standing at his/her resident school, including but not limited to consideration of any disciplinary issues at his/her resident school;
  2. The class size of the grade level in which the student is enrolling at any Athens City School;
  3. Whether the transfer places an undue burden on the Athens City Schools;
  4. Whether the applicant has been convicted of possession, use, or distribution of any controlled substance, including marijuana; or whether the applicant has been convicted of any weapons violation;
  5. Whether a student's need(s) can be accommodated with current staffing and program offerings and/or whether the student's enrollment adversely affects the programming for resident students;
  6. Whether the transfer would adversely impact capacities of programs, classes, grade levels, and buildings within the district;
  7. Whether there is exceptional and compelling personal hardship unique to the student and/or the student’s family;
  8. Whether the student's parent(s) and/or guardian(s) are employed by the school system; and
  9. Whether all members of the same family residing in the same household are treated the same.

The Superintendent (or designee) has the discretion to deny any and all transfer requests without presenting the same to the Board.
The admission of a non-resident student shall continue from year-to-year unless such admission is cancelled or discontinued as set forth herein.
In connection with the above factors, the Board reserves the right to annually establish capacities of programs, classes, grade levels, and buildings within the school district, upon consideration of recommendations provided by the administration which take into account current and projected enrollments in light of physical, fiscal, and human resources projected within the school district.


Placement of Non-Resident Students


Non-resident students transferring to the school system from other schools or other school systems shall be placed by the Superintendent in those classes or at those grade levels for which their previous educational experiences appear to qualify them. The Athens City Schools reserves the right to change or modify such placements on the basis of later information, testing, or investigation.


Cancellation of Enrollment


A non-resident student's enrollment in the school system is not a property right of the student (or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s)), and the student (or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s)) shall not obtain any vested rights with respect to the enrollment. A non-resident student has no guarantee, expectation or right that such enrollment will be available to the student for any succeeding year.
The non-resident student's enrollment is subject to cancellation at any time (e.g., during an academic semester) by the Board of Education, on the Superintendent's recommendation, upon the student’s violation of any school rules and/or policies. Moreover, an admitted non-resident student's enrollment is not guaranteed from year-to year, and may be discontinued at any time by the Board of Education, on the Superintendent's recommendation, upon consideration of the student and the needs of the school system (including but not limited to a review of the factors set forth above concerning admissions). Whether or not the non-resident student (and/or his/her parent(s) or guardian(s)) shall have an opportunity to confer with the Superintendent and the Board prior to any such discontinuance or cancellation, with any information relevant to the Superintendent's recommendation, is within the discretion of the Superintendent.

Moreover, if:

(i) during or after the admission acceptance process, the Superintendent finds that the applicant has misrepresented any material information concerning the application process,
(ii) after acceptance, the transfer student fails to pay any required tuition, or
(iii) after acceptance, the student enrolls in and receives educational services from another public or private school or facility then the Superintendent may decline admission of that non-resident transfer student or withdraw/remove that student from enrollment.


Non-Resident Student Tuition


The Superintendent shall collect tuition from non-resident students enrolled or enrolling in Athens City Schools, as follows:
  1. Non-resident students shall pay One Thousand Two Hundred dollars ($1,200.00) per year to attend Athens City Schools.
  2. Tuition shall be due in advance at a time set by the Superintendent before the new school year or semester, and shall be paid at the Office of the Superintendent of Education. The tuition is non-refundable, unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent and Board due to unusual and unforeseen circumstances where the student has not received educational services for any significant portion of the school year.
  3. The Superintendent may charge reasonable late fees in connection with the failure to timely pay tuition.
  4. There shall be no tuition charged for non-resident students who are enrolled in the school system because their parent(s) and/or guardian(s) are employees of the school system.
  5. The Superintendent may waive or reduce the tuition required of a non-resident student in a case where the non-resident student's enrollment is based on an exceptional and compelling personal hardship, and there is also financial hardship.
The Superintendent of Schools shall implement this policy, and develop administrative guidelines and forms necessary for the same.


Athens Renaissance School


Athens Renaissance School (“ARS”) and Renaissance Virtual School (“RVS”) courses and programs are also available for enrolled full-time, non-resident K-12 students who meet Policy JBCB eligibility requirements and Athens City Schools enrollment procedures (except that the Superintendent is authorized to (a) allow such students to enroll and participate in ARS and RVS without bringing such enrollments to the Board for approval, and (b) set a fee schedule for such ARS and RVS students that is different from the Non-Resident Student Tuition Charge set out above (including a schedule where there is no fee.) Such students are subject to the other provisions of this Policy JBCB, including but not limited to the provisions relating to Cancellation of Enrollment.


General


The Superintendent shall implement this policy, and develop administrative guidelines and forms necessary for the same.
Athens City Schools will not discriminate concerning non-resident student transfers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicapping conditions, including limited
English proficiency, in its decision, nor will it enforce this policy in such a manner that would otherwise violate state or federal law or court order.
SOURCE: Athens City Board of Education, Athens, AL
ADOPTED: May 15, 2014;
REVISED: September 13, 2018, January 23, 2020; January 25, 2024
 
 
 

 

Non-Resident Student Admission Form

Download and complete the ACS Non-Resident Student Admission Form.

Non-Resident Student Admission Form

ACS REGISTRATION OPTIONS (click on each option to learn more)