View the Orange County School District Directory
You don’t pick a school.
You pick an address, either by renting an apartment or buying a home or condo.
The address determines what school your child attends.
School Boundaries
California is divided into
school districts, each in control of specific area. The districts build the
schools and, typically, assign each school an attendance zone, usually the
immediate neighborhood.
To find out what school
your child will attend, call the local school district or school and give them
your prospective address. The school personnel will identify the neighborhood
school.
Many Realtors and school
district web sites will have this information.
Our recommendation is that
you confirm the address with the district and secure information about the
schools — before you buy or lease. Just say, I am moving into 1234 Main
Street or whatever. Which school will my children attend? .
For the great majority of
parents, choosing a school will be a simple and happy experience. The house
will be coupled with a neighborhood school that you will like, even love.
But some choices are more
complex and there are situations that you may want to avoid.
Recommendations
* Review the scores for local schools, the SAT
scores and the college attendance numbers. See SAT and See School Scores.
* Read What Scores Mean and Organization.
* Secure the School Accountability Report Card.
All schools and school districts are required to issue these reports annually.
Many will be posted on the web. These reports contain information about
programs, ethnic makeup, student-teacher ratio, scores, crime and more.
* Visit the school. Check in first at the office;
security requirement. Ask for an enrollment or information packet.
* Find out the school progression. Elementary
School A advances its students to Middle School B, which moves them up to High
School C. Get the scores and reports for each.
* Ask about alternatives to the neighborhood
schools.
* Private schools number
about 220. Many are parochial schools affiliated with a religion. See Private Schools.
How School Districts Are
Organized
* Elementary district, usually kindergarten to
eighth grade but may also be K-to 6 or, rarely K-3.
* High-school districts, mostly grades 9 to 12
but some start at the 7th grade.
* Unified Districts. Kindergarten through 12.
* County Office of Education. Schools for kids
in juvenile hall or under court supervision. May also fund schools for
handicapped children and may serve as the supervising agency for some charter
or alternative schools.
Each district or agency is
responsible for its own budget, sets its own attendance rules and many policies
and has its own school board. Other policies are set by the California
Department of Education and the federal government.
All levels — local,
state, feds — fund the schools and with the funds come policy directives
and programs.
Types of Schools
* Traditional schools. The great majority fall
into this category, the typical neighborhood school that teaches the general
curriculum and adheres to the education code.
* Charter Schools. About 600 in state. Some of
these schools are managed by the districts, many are run by private firms, such
as Edison, Aspire and KIPP. Charter schools are publicly funded but have the
discretion to ignore many provisions of the education code and set their own
policies, programs and budgets. Some charters compete with the neighborhood schools
for students, others work closely with the local district. Charters often do
not have attendance boundaries; they can accept students from anywhere.
* Alternate Schools or Academies or Schools
Within a School. These schools are regular schools with special programs for
certain students. These programs may stress performing arts or advanced
academics or technology or other fields. Students attend their programs part of
the day and the rest of the time may blend with the other kids at lunch and physical
education and certain classes. Each school decides its configuration.
In some situations, the
regular side of the school enrolls the neighborhood children and the “alternate”
side is open to all students but they may be screened or accepted by lottery.
Sometime scores for “schools
within schools” are broken out but usually they are lumped with the general
scores for the school.
* Magnet Schools. Similar to alternate schools
and some districts may use the term interchangeably with alternate schools.
Magnet schools got their start about three decades ago when schools were
encouraging integration without resorting to forced busing. They set up
enriched programs at certain schools to attract students from throughout the
district and mix them by ethnicity.
* Theme Schools. For example, Performing Arts
Academies. These schools take the academy or alternate concept a step further,
a whole school dedicated to an alternate program.
* Exam schools. Among the highest-scoring in the
state. Admission by exam or by screening that in effect is an exam. May also be
called gifted schools.
* Middle College High School. Designed for
underachieving students, these schools are housed at community colleges. The
hope is that the college environment and an enriched curriculum will shape up
the kids and give them college ambitions.
* Continuation High Schools. For high-school
students, usually ages 16 to 18, who are in danger of dropping out or failing
out.
* Newcomer Schools. For immigrants learning
English.
* Immersion Schools or programs. The kids are
taught in Spanish and English.
* Independent Study. Students study at home,
completing assignments developed with their teacher.
* Home schools. Some parents want to educate
their kids themselves so they set up their own “schools.” The state allows this
as long as the kids are in fact receiving an education. An informal support
system has been developed to help these parents.
The Concerns
* District and school choices. In deciding upon
a town and neighborhood or even block, many times you will be making a choice
between school districts or schools.
Say you are looking at identical
homes within blocks of one another and in the same town or adjoining towns. The
major difference: one home is in School District A and another in School
District B. And there may be lurking nearby a District C.
In California, many cities
have multiple school districts or one school district will serve several towns
or parts of towns.
In the ideal world, it
should not matter which district you chose.
In the real world, some
districts manage their finances better than others or their voters tax themselves
higher for schools than the people in the next district.
In some parts of the
county, low-scoring and mid-scoring schools and high-scoring schools are
located within a short distance of one another in the same school district. The
difference between enrolling your child in one or the other can be as short as
a few feet.
You drive around the
neighborhood and see a school close to your prospective home. The school looks
nice and you are thinking happy thoughts about the neighborhood. This may not
be the assigned school.
When you sell your home,
you might command a higher price if you are in District A as opposed to
District B.
Some differences are minor
but if you have a choice between school districts or schools, it pays to
research these choices. Ask the districts if they have passed bonds. Compare
the scores and programs offered — that sort of thing.
* Calendar. To cut construction costs, the state
gives extra money to districts that run year-round schedules. A year-round
school may start in early July or August and take, for example, a week off
after Thanksgiving. Many parents dislike year-round schools because they
interfere with vacations and work. Even regular schools will sometimes follow
irregular calendars.
* Conflicting policies. You have two children,
one in elementary, one in high school.
The elementary school is in
its own district, the high school in its own district. They may have different
schedules. One district may provide busing, the other not.
* Low scores. The school may pace its
instruction to the abilities of its children. See What Scores Mean.
* Shifting scores. Your child attends Elementary
A, then moves up to Middle School B and later to High School C. Each may have
different scores, which will influence what programs are offered. See Scores and What Scores Mean.
* Hidden Choices. For a variety of reasons, some
having to with money and competition, districts sometimes don’t publicize the
choices. You call the district and say, I am thinking about moving into 1213
Main Street. What is my assigned school? And you’re told, your school is XYZ
Elementary. You may not be told that a charter school is also located in your
neighborhood.
Ask if alternative or
charter schools are available.
* Crowded schools. If the neighborhood school is
crowded, the school district might assign a school some distance from your
home. Or it might run double sessions for some grades or short schedules.
* Busing. Some districts provide busing for a
charge. Some bus certain kids free. Other districts don’t provide busing. In
districts with public busing, the transit company will sometimes route buses to
the schools.
* New schools, closing schools. If the town is building a lot of housing, it will usually be opening
schools. Often home construction runs faster than school construction, leading
to temporary crowding. When the new school opens, attendance boundaries are
often changed at other schools.
Enrollments are declining
in many communities, forcing school closings. This also requires changes
in attendance boundaries. Ask about opening and closings.
In some situations,
districts with declining enrollments relax the enforcement of attendance
policies. The Jones family lives in Town X but would like to send their
children to schools in Town Y. A friend or relative lives in Town Y and agrees
to provide an address. If the school district doesn’t check the address, the
kids stay.
* Tax Misunderstandings. Some school districts
levy taxes on new developments to pay for school construction. The new
residents come to believe that their children will attend the new schools,
which are built to modern standards and have high-tech wiring. But they may be
assigned to the older schools in the district and the children in the older neighborhoods
— whose parents were not taxed — may be assigned to the new
schools.
* Mello-Roos. To fund school construction (and
infrastructure costs), many developers use the Mello-Roos tax, which is levied
only on residents of a specific project. This tax never shows up in old
neighborhoods; only new, and even here its use is hodgepodge. Some projects in
the same area will levy the tax, others won’t or will charge less. This is a situation where moving
a few blocks makes a difference of sometimes over $200 a month.
* Looping. This practice, which shows up at some
schools, keeps the kids with the same teacher for several years. Has its fans
and its detractors.
* First Come, First Served. Some districts run
fundamental or enriched schools with high or fairly high scores. Enrollment is
first-come, first served. Some schools may use a lottery to decide admissions.
You should always enroll
your children as soon as possible. When disputes come up, the enrollment date
may decide the matter.
* Delayed Choice. First you enroll in the
neighborhood school and only then do you get the chance to transfer your child
to another school.
* Small schools, big schools. Small schools are
intimate but many will have only one class per grade level. If you want to
transfer your child to a different class setting, the school might not be able
to oblige. Big schools may be impersonal but they offer choices.
* Divorce Perk. Mom lives in one district, dad
in another. The child might be able to claim residency in either district.
Transfers
If you are dissatisfied
with your child’s school, you can request a transfer. Many schools will grant
them. State law requires school districts to consider transfers to ease
parental hardship. This might include working in one town and living in
another. You transfer your child to a school near your job.
When in doubt, ask. School
officials don’t want unhappy parents and students. If they can solve a problem
without creating other problems, they will generally do just that. And they
might have solutions that you did not think of.
Open Enrollment
At the beginning of the
school year, some districts may offer a period of open enrollment. During this
time, parents can apply for any school in the district. Once the deadline
passes, transfers become harder to secure.
Open-enrollment transfers
are “space permitting.” The students in the attendance zones have first
priority, then other students in the district, and last, students transferring
from another district.
Leave-No-Child-Behind
Transfers
Congress has passed a law
that allows parents to transfer children out of low-scoring schools (as defined
by the legislation) into other schools within the same district.
Safety or Academic
Transfers
Say your child is being
bullied or just not thriving in one setting and clearly a transfer would help.
One district will accept the transfer with the understanding that when it has
the same problem, the other district will reciprocate. Ask.
Why Parents Shun Transfers
Often they raise havoc with
your personal and work life. If your child attends the local school, you will
usually make friends with other parents at that school. These parents will live
in your neighborhood.
If you are late getting
home from work, they can pick up your child at day care or the school and look
after him or her. If you’re sick, they can drive your child to school. If your
child gets sick at school and has to be picked up right away, and you work 30
miles away, your neighbor might pitch in. You reciprocate for them in other
ways.
If your child goes to
school in another town, these arrangements may become difficult.
As the children get older,
they may want to join after-school sports or activities. Someone has to drive
them to these activities and pick them up. The schools will not supply
transportation. Again neighbors and school parents come in handy. If your child
attends an “outside” school, you may have to look for sports and activities in
that city — complications.
The children will make
friends in the neighborhood and may come to resent not being able to go to
school with them.
You want to make friends
with the other moms and dads. You want to get the gossip about what’s really
happening at the school. It’s harder when you live outside of the district or
the school zone.
American parents, for good
reason, are very fond of their neighborhood schools.
Why School Districts
Dislike Transfers
California funds schools by
attendance; the more students a school enrolls, the more money it gets. If
school loses 10 students, it still has to stay open and often keep the same
number of staff and teachers. But its income has been cut. If the same school
adds 10 students, its expenses may increase a little but it “makes” money (that
can be used salaries, activities, etc.)
Schools hate to lay off
teachers and staff. Parents and communities hate to close schools. Often the
school is providing playing fields and meeting rooms and hosting activities,
even church services.
Admission ages
To get into kindergarten,
your child must turn five before Dec. 3 of the year he enters the grade. If
your child’s birthday falls close to this date or if she is mature for her age,
check with the school. There may be wiggle room.
When to Enroll
As soon as you can! For
most children, enrollment will be simple and quick. But if space is short at
the school, when you apply might make a difference.
At enrollment, you will
often be asked for:
* Child’s birth certificate (might be waived for
high-school students).
* Home deed or loan-ownership papers with your
name and address listed.
* Current tax bill with your name and address
* Utility bill, name and address.
* Rental agreement, name and address.
If a district or school
gets many requests for transfers, it often will be a stickler for proof of
residence.
* Immunization records
* Transcripts for older children. For students
transferring into upper grades, the welcoming school will ask the former school
for transcripts.
For high-school students,
you should have your own set of transcripts. This way the school can place the
student right away into the appropriate classes (while the official transcripts
are being sent).
Immunizations
You are required to show
proof of immunization for polio, diphtheria, hepatitis B, tetanus, pertussis
(whooping cough), measles, rubella and mumps. If the kid is seven or older, you
can skip mumps and whooping cough. Continuing students above the seventh grade
must show proof of being immunized against hepatitis B.
If your religion prohibits
all or certain immunizations, you will be asked to sign a waiver acknowledging
this.
Some Advice on
Immunizations
Your doctor or HMO will
almost always know what’s required. Just ask for the school immunization
battery. Or ask the school secretary to recommend a local doctor.
Some groups sponsor
immunization clinics. The school often will have the information on the
clinics.
Other Pertinent Information
* Student’s medical history. Allergies, medical
problems that the school should be aware of, glasses, medications. If your
child has a condition that requires special attention, you should tell the
school. (Parents often are not aware of learning disabilities. Typically, these
are picked up by the kindergarten or first-grade teacher, who will refer the
student for tests.)
* If student was in a special or advanced
program at previous school, this should be noted. It will help the school place
your child in the right setting.
* Names, addresses and phone numbers. Mom and
dad or both. Where you can be reached. Or legal guardian. Friends or relatives
to contact if you are not available.
* Ethnicity. Optional but it may help the school
get extra funds.
* Language. What language is spoken at home and
other questions to determine proficiency.
* Other schooling. You might be asked if your
child attended preschool or kindergarten or language immersion classes.
View the Orange County School District Directory
Sample Procedures
The following forms secured
from mid-sized districts and are indicative of what you will find at many
districts: click to download PDF.
Kindergarten Form
Health Form
Registration Form
