Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis City Schools’ annual Open Enrollment process will begin Wednesday, March 26. Parents can participate in early sign-up beginning the morning of Tuesday, March 11 at the Board of Education, 2597 Avery.
Open Enrollment allows any parent interested in a school other than the one assigned for their child by address to apply for a transfer. Open Enrollment transfers can only be granted for schools with available enrollment space. If a school is at capacity, a parent’s name will be added to a waiting list for the selected school. Due to the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, students assigned to schools designated by the Tennessee Department of Education as “High Priority” will rßeceive first priority for transfers to a school in Good Standing with available space. The priority period for NCLB and Sibling transfers is March 26 – April 11.
Open Enrollment transfer applications will be available beginning March 11 in the Board Auditorium, the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, at all Memphis City Schools and on the MCS web site, www.mcsk12.net.
The application period for 2008-09 Open Enrollment transfers is March 26 - June 30, 2008.
Early Sign-Up: March 11 – March 25
Beginning on Tuesday, March 11, Memphis City Schools will offer “reservation tickets” – one per parent or legal guardian – at the Board of Education to help parents and guardians avoid the inconvenience of long lines when the application process begins. Parents can line up for a reservation ticket between 6:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on March 11. Parent-sponsored line-ups or lists will not be honored, and MCS Security will not permit anyone to line up for the ticket process before 5:30 a.m. Reservation tickets, as well as applications and information packets, will be available in the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, room 104 of the Board of Education, through March 25. The office will be open to provide tickets and packets from 7:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. weekdays, March 11 – March 25; and 9 a.m. – noon, Saturday, March 15. The office will not be open on Sunday, March 23.
A “reservation ticket” will allow parents to drop off their applications any time between 6:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26 or between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on March 27 and 28. Tickets will be honored on those dates only. Applications accompanied by a ticket must be dropped off in person in the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, room 104 of the Board of Education.
Application Process: March 26 – June 30
Parents may submit Open Enrollment transfer applications at any time from March 26 until June 30 for the 2008-09 school year. Applications with tickets will be processed first within the respective transfer priority categories on March 26, 27 and 28 . Applications will be available beginning March 11 in the Board Auditorium, in the Office of Student Enrollment and Records, at all Memphis City Schools and on the MCS Web site, www.mcsk12.net. The Office of Student Enrollment and Records will maintain waiting lists for schools anticipated to be at enrollment capacity.
Priority Period for NCLB/Sibling Transfers: March 26 – April 11
The priority period for NCLB and sibling transfer requests is March 26 – April 11. After April 11, all open enrollment transfer applications will be processed on a “first-come, first-served” basis, pending space being available in the requested school. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, students assigned to schools that will remain in High Priority standing next school year receive first priority for transfers to schools in Good Standing that have available space.
For more information, call the Office of Student Enrollment and Records at 416-5830, or visit www.mcsk12.net.