2013 - 2014 Transfer Request Information

Tips and guidelines for requesting a school transfer

On This Page

• Waiting lists
• Want to transfer multiple students?
• Renewing an approved transfer
• Transferring out of a School in Need of Improvement (SINOI)
• Transportation and mileage reimbursement
• Athletics and activities

How it works

We can approve transfers only if a school has space for new students. If more people request spaces than are available, we will use a lottery-style random drawing to approve transfers and assign spaces at each particular school.

• The random selection process we use is in compliance with state and federal regulations.
• The process also factors in student needs (See Transfer Priorities below.)

Transfer request guidelines:

• Who can make a transfer request? Transfer requests can be submitted by a parent, legal guardian, students at least 18 years old, or students that have been legally emancipated. Complete this form to request a transfer or contact the Transfer Office at (505) 855-9050.

• Students will only be approved for one transfer per year.

• It helps to apply early. Those who apply between February 1 and March 15 will be included in the first random drawing for schools. The first drawing occurs before the end of the school year.

• After the first drawing, we will hold additional random drawings later in the year as space becomes available at schools.
• How will you be notified? You will be notified by mail. If the student has already attended an APS school, transfer information will be mailed to the address listed with the student's current school. If the student is new to APS, transfer information will be mailed to the address listed on the form.
• Remember, students should attend their neighborhood school until their transfer request is approved.

Transfer Priorities

Here's how we prioritize requests to transfer schools.

1. Students living within the established attendance boundaries for a school.
2. Students who are enrolled at a School in Need of Improvement (SINOI) and are applying to attend a non-SINOI school.
3. Students who have previously attended the school.
4. Other enrollment preferences, including:
• Students with siblings already attending the school requested and who will be attending simultaneously for the upcoming school year. Those students will be placed into the requested school when possible.
• If space is still available placement will be granted to students who: have other siblings requesting the same school but none are currently attending the requested school; are children of an employee of the school being requested; or have at least one parent on active military duty stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base.
• Those placements are followed by students who have a specific reason such as child care needs, and other reasons.
5. Transfer requests with no reason specified.

Waiting Lists

If a transfer request cannot be approved for any of the requested schools, the student's name will automatically be placed on a waiting list for that school year.

• If space becomes available at a school, students on the waiting list will get transferred first.
• If a transfer request is approved for any of the requested schools, all remaining requests will be withdrawn and the student's name will be removed from all waiting lists.

Note: Waiting lists do not carry over from one year to the next. You must complete a new application each year, even if it's the same request as last year.

Contact the Transfer Office at (505) 855-9050 to get information about school enrollment space and program availability.

Approved Transfers

How will you be notified? By mail, you will receive notice that your transfer has been approved. NOTE: Approved transfer notifications will be mailed to the address listed with the student's current school (or to the address listed on the Transfer Request Form if the student is new to APS).

What's next? As soon as you receive a transfer approval, please contact your new school to find out when the student can complete the registration process. (Find a school)

The registration process for approved transfers varies depending on when you receive the approval notification:

• Before Summer: Contact your new school to see if they want you to pre-register for the Fall semester.
• During Summer: Try contacting the school and be sure to process your paperwork by the time of Fall registration. Note that you might not be able to reach anyone during summer break.
• During the School Year: Contact your new school as soon as you receive the transfer approval. Watch out! If you wait too long to contact the school, you may lose your spot.

If the student is currently enrolled in an APS school, you will might need to get withdrawal papers from their current school. However, we encourage you to contact the transfer school to find what what paperwork you need to bring with you. (Find a school)

Renewing Transfers

Students who have successfully transferred schools will usually be automatically re-enrolled each year at the transfer school. However, because transfer requests are granted on the basis of available programs and classroom size, automatic transfer re-enrollment is not guaranteed.

A new transfer request will need to be filled out if:

• The transfer student has been promoted to the next school level (for example, from elementary to middle school) and is wanting to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

• The transfer student is dis-enrolled from their transfer school.

SINOI and Non-SINOI Schools

Students who live in the attendance area of a School in Need of Improvement (SINOI) can request a transfer and have second priority when requesting a transfer to a non-SINOI school.

In order to determine the classification of your designated or transfer school:

1. Go to the Certified Adequate Yearly Progress Reports page.
2. Find the link to the School Summary Report (which is a PDF updated each year as the report becomes available).
3. Scroll down to find the district listing of the Albuquerque Public Schools.
4. Once you have located your school on the list, check the NCLB Designation column for the current year.
5. Non-SINOI schools will be listed as Progressing; SINOI schools will be listed with the remaining designations (e.g., SI-1, SI-2, CA, R-1, and R-2, and listings with delay).

AYP rating information is also available on the Research, Deployment and Accountability site.

Transportation

Students transferring to a school outside their neighborhood school will not be able to ride an APS bus to school.

Athletics and Activities

Athletics: Some restrictions regarding athletics programs apply to newly transferred students. Questions concerning athletic eligibility can be addressed by contacting individual school athletic directors or by contacting the Athletic Department at (505) 884-9580.

Activities: Certain education activities are not offered at all schools. Enrollment in special education programs is determined by educational program availability, physical site capacity, and the ability to maintain specified class sizes.