The general policy of the district is to not enter into or maintain interdistrict agreements with other districts.
“Because of limited district resources, the governing board will consider approving such (interdistrict) transfer requests only on a case-by-case basis,” according to the Hart district agenda.
The William S. Hart Union High School District recently pitched in with other Santa Clarita Valley school districts and paid for a full-page ad in the Acton Agua Dulce Country Journal.
The ad was paid for using grant money given to the school district by the state for advertising, he said.
However, Hart district board President Joe Messina said putting transfer policy on the agenda wasn’t about targeting students in other districts, it was about updating policy.
“We’ve seen an increase in the number of requests to come (to the Hart district),” Messina said. “We’re looking at the policy, just so we know what the guidelines are. We want to make sure our policy makes sense.”
The version submitted for the online agenda crosses out the words, “discourages transfers into the district,” and “in situations of extreme need.”
In the past, the district has looked at transfers on the basis of if there’s a pressing concern, a specific hardship or a parent or parents work within the district boundaries, Messina said.
The district generally doesn’t grant transfers just because a parent wants to put their child in the school district because Hart district schools might offer a better education than another district, he said.
The policy also states students from outside the district may enroll in the Regional Occupation Program for the William S. Hart Union High School District, which is in accordance with state law.
The spots for the ROP, which is essentially a career-training program for high school students, will be granted to interdistrict students on a space-available basis.
Board members will look at the policy during a first reading Wednesday and, if it’s approved, consider adoption during their next meeting Aug. 21.
Hart Board to Review Interdistrict Transfer Policy
