Student Assignment

Reason: Student’s needs cannot be met in the present school assignment. 

Required Documentation: 

• A statement explaining why the student’s needs cannot be fulfilled by any reasonable means within the present school assignment. 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid for the academic year for which transfer is granted. 
• Reapplication for the next school year is required. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a bona fide change in domicile. 

Kindergarten-Grade 11

Reason: Domicile changes to another school zone within Union County during the current school year. Moves made prior to the start of the current school year are not eligible for approval under change of residence. If the move is outside of Union County, the student will be removed from UCPS attendance ten (10) days after the school/district becomes aware of the move. 

Required Documentation: 

• Proof of current residence and date of move (e.g., lease or home purchase closing document). 

Length of Approval: 

• Kindergarten-Grade 10 approvals are valid for the academic year for which transfer is granted after which the student must enroll in the zoned home school. 
• Grade 11 students may remain through the completion of the student’s senior year. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 

Grade 12

Reason: Residence changes to another school zone during the summer prior to or during the 12th grade year. The student may remain through the end of the year; however, if the move is outside of Union County, tuition must be paid in full for the student to remain enrolled. 

Required Documentation: 

• Proof of current residence and date of move (e.g., lease or home purchase closing document). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid through the completion of the student’s senior year. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 

Reason: Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are building or acquiring a new home in a different attendance area than the one in which the student is now attending. Request is to transfer to the new attendance zone. 

Required Documentation: 

• Written statement from the building contractor indicating that the house will be completed and ready for occupancy during the school year for which the transfer is requested and include a calendar date for occupancy in the statement; or a real estate contract with a calendar date of occupancy during the school year for which the transfer is requested. 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid for the academic year for which transfer is granted. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 

Reason: Children of full-time (minimum of 30 hours/week), benefits-eligible employees of Union County Public Schools or employees for another entity while assigned to work full-time in a Board property through a contractual relationship (i.e. School Resource Officer) may apply for a transfer into a UCPS school. 

OR 

Children of part-time employees (those employed by the district for less than 30 hours per week) may apply for a transfer into the school where his/her parent is assigned. 

Required Documentation: 

• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid through terminal grade (i.e. 5th, 8th and 12th), absent a change in the employment status of the employee parent. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• 9th grade students will be given immediate athletic eligibility only if
  • the transfer is completed on or before July 1.
  • the student is a new resident to Union County.
  • the parent has recently accepted employment with UCPS.
  • or the transfer is to a school in the cluster where the parent is assigned. 

All other 9th grade students will be ineligible to participate in athletics until the following school year. 

• Rising 10th-12th graders will be given immediate athletic eligibility only if
  • the student is a new resident to Union County.
  • the parent has recently accepted employment with UCPS.
  • or the transfer is to a school in the cluster where the parent is assigned. 

All other rising 10th-12th grade students will be ineligible to participate in athletics until the following school year, regardless of when the transfer is completed. 

• Any student returning to their zoned home school after July 1 would be ineligible for athletic participation until completion of the current school year. 
• Any student that makes a 2nd transfer using the Children of Employees option would be ineligible for athletic participation for 365 days from the time of the transfer, unless the transfer is for a child of an employee whose parent is moved to another cluster by the district and a transfer is requested to allow the child to move with his or her parent. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a change in domicile. 

Reason: Student has a serious physical, mental, or emotional handicap or illness requesting a school that better meets his/her needs. 

Required Documentation: 

• Medical statement from student’s physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist outlining each of the following:
  • The nature of the handicap or illness 
  • The specific reason the student’s needs cannot be met by accommodation at the assigned school
  • The specific reasons reassignment to another school will benefit the student more than accommodations for the student at his/her assigned school. 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid through terminal grade (i.e. 5th, 8th and 12th), absent a change in the medical needs of the student, whichever occurs sooner. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a change in domicile. 

Reason: Special or unique circumstances, determined to meet policy by the Office of Student Assignment. The following will be considered: 

• Student’s best interests 
• Orderly and efficient administration of the public schools 
• Proper administration of the school to which reassignment is requested 
• Instruction, health, and safety of the students there enrolled.

Required Documentation: 

• Evidence of the extreme hardship and need for transfer approval. 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid for the academic year for which transfer is granted. 
• Reapplication for the next school year is required. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same 

Reason: Transfer from a zoned school exceeding 20% over capacity to a school that is at least 10% below capacity. (Capacity shall be determined by Union County Public Schools.) 

Required Documentation: 

• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid for the academic year for which transfer is granted. 
• Reapplication for the next school year is required. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a change in domicile. 

Reason: Transfer when one of the following conditions exist: 

• A school is determined to be “persistently dangerous” (as defined by North Carolina Department of Public Instruction); or 
• When it is determined by the principal, after a review of the reasonable evidence, a student was the victim of a violent crime while at school. For the purposes of this policy, “violent crime” shall include the following:
  • Assault resulting in serious bodily injury 
  • Assault involving the use of a weapon 
  • Rape, sexual offense, sexual assault 
  • Kidnapping 
  • Robbery with a dangerous weapon 
  • Taking indecent liberties with a minor. 

Required Documentation: 

• Evidence of student as a victim of violent crime (as outlined above) 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• Valid consistent with legal requirements or until the reason no longer applies 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a change in domicile. 

Reason: Student transfer based upon the assignment of his/her sibling under the following circumstances: 

• Transfer to same school as sibling assigned to a separate setting classroom through the Exceptional Children’s Program. 
• Transfer to school within cluster where she/he has a sibling currently assigned except if the sibling is in the cluster via the transfer process. This option is only available to middle and high school students. 
• A rising Kindergarten student transfer to Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program at the school where his/her older sibling is currently enrolled in a DLI class; however, this application must be completed through the lottery and once accepted, both students must remain in the DLI program to be eligible. 

Required Documentation: 

• Sibling’s name or student identification number. 
• Proof of current residence (e.g., current utility bill, lease or mortgage statement). 

Length of Approval: 

• For a student with sibling in an Exceptional Children’s separate setting classroom or DLI, the transfer is valid through terminal grade, or until sibling is no longer in the special program, whichever occurs sooner. 
• For the middle and high school student transfer criteria, the transfer is valid through graduation. 

Athletic Eligibility: 

• Immediate athletic eligibility, regardless of when the transfer occurs. 
• Any student returning to their zoned home school would be ineligible for athletic participation until the following school year. 
• No student will be allowed to play the same sport at different schools within the same year absent a change in domicile.