PJ29 Student Withdrawal

Procedural Directive: PJ29 Student Withdrawal

Definitions

For the purposes of this administrative procedure, “withdrawal” refers to the process of removing a student from enrollment in and educational services provided by a school in the Albuquerque Public School district.

Additionally, a “student who has not attended” designates a student who has not attended school at all during the first 40 days of the school year.

General Requirements

No school will withhold student withdrawal due to outstanding fees or non-return of district equipment.

Eligibility for Withdrawal

The following are the ONLY conditions by which a student may be withdrawn:

The student’s parent/guardian withdraws them.
School staff withdraws a student because:

The school has determined that the student meets the criteria for a student who has not attended.
The school has provided multiple and varied attempts and methods of outreach and intervention to/with families, submitted a Request for Withdrawal, and received approval.

Designated and authorized district staff may withdraw a student after confirming and documenting that the student is enrolled in another school or district.

All criteria above must be accompanied by documentation in the Student Information System.

McKinney-Vento and Foster Care Student Educational Rights

If a student is identified under the McKinney-Vento Act and/or is experiencing homelessness, any withdrawal initiated by someone other than the parent/guardian or the unaccompanied homeless youth must be verified by the McKinney-Vento Program. This is necessary to uphold the student's educational rights as established by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Additionally, any students identified under McKinney-Vento who have not attended school must also receive approval for withdrawal. Given the frequent moves, interruptions, and changes in communication, it is essential to make extra efforts to contact these families before proceeding with the student's withdrawal.

Students in foster care may only be withdrawn after going through the Best Interest Determination (BID) process as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). All students who have not attended must also be approved by the APS Foster Care Team, which will notify schools when a BID is received.

Students Who Have Not Attended

ALL of the following conditions must be met before withdrawing students who have not attended within the first 40 days of each school year:

The student is not eligible for or receiving McKinney-Vento services.
The student is not in foster care.
The student has not attended school ANY days of the school year The student’s attendance data reflects their lack of attendance.
The school has made repeated multiple and varied attempts and methods of outreach to contact the student’s family and documented these in Student Information System.
There has been no contact with/from the parents/guardians.

If any of these conditions are not met, the Assistant Superintendent's permission is required to withdraw a student who has not attended.

Withdrawal Processes

Family-Requested Withdrawals

Parents/guardians do not have to withdraw their child in person.

At the time of withdrawal, schools will carry out the following measures:

If the parent/guardian is in person, request photo identification and confirm that the parent/guardian has educational rights. If the parent/guardian is not in person, staff will use other strategies to confirm the person’s identity, such as requesting identification and confirming that the individual has permission to make decisions for the child or is listed as an emergency contact in the Student Information System. (Note: Please see the section on students in foster care for other requirements for those students.)
Ensure that the parent/guardian completes a disenrollment/withdrawal form.
Check if the student has any APS equipment and/or outstanding fees and make a reasonable attempt to receive them:
Chromebooks, computers, iPads
Library books and textbooks
Uniforms, club attire, musical instruments, etc.
Student badges, which need to be deactivated.
Should the school be unable to obtain the materials or fees, they can contact the appropriate district department for guidance on the next steps for releasing the asset.
If the student is transferring to a non-APS school, give the parent/guardian a Records Request Form to provide to the new school so student records can be accessed as soon as possible.
If a parent or guardian intends to homeschool their child, all attempts must be made to confirm homeschooling, and the parent or guardian must be reminded to register their homeschool and child with the New Mexico Public Education Department.
The school registrar will:
Withdraw the student within the Student Information System
Notify the student’s teacher(s), the counselor, the nurse, and the special education lead (if applicable).

School-Requested Withdrawals

All school-requested withdrawals require the following:

The school must conduct and document in the Student Information System multiple attempts to contact parent/guardian at various times of day, utilizing multiple methods (e.g. various parent/guardian and emergency contact phone numbers, email, calls, texts, home visits, and wellness checks).
The school must complete and submit a Withdrawal Request Form.
Withdrawal Request Forms should be submitted to the school’s Assistant Superintendent. The Assistant Superintendent will review the request and the documentation in the Student Information System to determine if the student is eligible for or receiving McKinney-Vento services or is in foster care. If so, the form will be forwarded to the appropriate district department for their approval before the Assistant Superintendent makes a final decision.

School-Requested Withdrawals for Students Who Have Not Attended

The school registrar will:

Withdraw the student within the Student Information System.
Notify the student’s teacher(s), the counselor, nurse, and special education lead (if applicable).
Mail the parent/guardian a letter stating that their child has been withdrawn from school. Advise the parent, in writing, that if they need assistance re-enrolling or getting their child’s new school's educational records, they should contact the school.

District Withdrawals

Designated district personnel obtaining information confirming that a student is enrolled in a non-APS school (e.g. NMPED enrollment report, confirmation from new school, confirmation from parent/guardian) will:

Document the confirmation information of the Student Information System.
Withdraw the student in the Student Information System.
Provide the school and the school’s Assistant Superintendent a letter notifying them of the withdrawal.

Annual School Requirements for All Students and Families

Schools will inform families about the importance of formally withdrawing their children from school when necessary. This process will help ensure proper student placement in the new school, maintain continuity of educational services and learning by sharing educational records, reduce staff concerns and outreach efforts for students who are not in school, and aid the district in recovering its assets.

The First 40 Days of the School Year

Families who have not entered current registration information into the Student Information System and those whose children have not attended school during the first week of school will receive multiple documented notifications from the district. These notifications will convey that school has started, that records indicate their child should be attending, and that if the child does not attend and the school does not receive any communication from the family, the child will be withdrawn from the school and will need to re-enroll.

Schools will closely monitor student attendance and contact families to confirm enrollment and attendance throughout the year, but especially during the first 40 days of the school year.

Administrative Position:
Deputy Superintendent of Leadership and Learning
Chief Academic Officer
Associate Superintendent for School Climate and Support
Department Director:
Director of Attendance Supports

References

Legal Cross Ref.
§22-8-2 NMSA 1978
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act, 42 United States Code § 11431-11435)
§22-13-33 NMSA 1978

Administrative Procedure Cross Ref.:
PJ6 Attendance
PI24 Home Schooling
PJ52 Student Withdrawal Before the School Year’s End
PJ43 Student Fees, Fines, and Charges
PJ51 Student Use of District Issued Educational Technology

NSBA/NEPN Classification: JEB

Introduced: March 10, 2025

This page was last updated on: March 13, 2025.