The Magnet Schools Program of

The MobileCountyPublic School System

PROCEDURES OF THE

THE MAGNET SCHOOLS PROGRAM

OF THE

MOBILE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

MARTHA PEEK

INTERIMSUPERINTENDENT

DR. CAROLYN LEE TAYLOR

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT DIVISION OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

MARILYN B. PACE

SUPERVISOR

MAGNET SCHOOLS PROGRAM

P.O. BOX 180069

MOBILE, ALABAMA36618

(251) 221-4039

Revised: 1/08

Procedures and Guidelines Governing the Operations of the

Mobile County Public MagnetSchools Program

The Magnet Schools Program of the Mobile County Public Schools System is under the jurisdiction of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction. Procedures and guidelines are monitored by the by the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and the Magnet Supervisor.

I. Qualifications to Enter the Magnet Program

A.Any student may apply for admission to a magnet school, but the student must meet the following criteria if selected:

  1. A student must be promoted from a regular school program to the next grade on the last day of the regular school year.
  1. A student required to attend summer school or moved by chronological age is not eligible for admission.
  1. A student's report card must be verified for promotion by the selected magnet school.
  1. A student must be enrolled in school.
  1. A student must not have been suspended more than twice or more than six (6) days during the school year preceding enrollment in the Magnet Schools Program.
  1. A student must not have been found guilty of a C, D, or E Offense as outlined in the MCPSS Student Code of Conduct during the school year preceding enrollment in the Magnet Schools Program.
  1. At the time of application, an applicant to a MCPSS magnet school must reside in the MobileCountyPublic School System.
  1. A student must meet standards for promotion as outlined by Board Policy Student Pupil Progression Plan 06/07 upon admission to a magnet school.

Note: A student is not given an entrance examination or audition to enter a magnet school under current guidelines.

II. Application Process

A.The first Monday of the first full week of school in January is the beginning date of the magnet application period for each school year.

  1. The deadline for participation in the first drawing is the last day of February.
  2. Applications received after February are processed, and the student is entered into the Waiting Pool of Applicants. The applicant is then eligible for all subsequent drawings.

D.Beginning the second week of January, applications are available in all magnet schools and in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction of the MobileSchool District's Central Administrative Office located at OneMagnumPass

  1. Applications may be completed in all magnet schools and in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction on any regular business day.

F. The application period is publicized in local media and through the Magnet Schools Program’s recruitment efforts.

G. Complete applications are sent to the Magnet Program Office for input into the magnet database.

  1. Application data is checked for accuracy against MobileCountyPublic School System records and against the State of Alabama Special Education Database.

III. Magnet Siblings

  1. Siblings are given first preference in the magnet selection process but only for the same school site as their brother or sister.
  2. There must be an available position in the desired school and appropriate grade before a sibling can be placed.
  3. Siblings are placed in random number order into a requested grade.
  4. Siblings are not guaranteed placement if space is not available in the desired school.
  5. Stepchildren may be considered as a sibling of magnet students.
  1. Prior to a drawing for a magnet opening the parent must present certified custodial papers for student(s) in question before a child may be placed as a sibling.
  2. The student in question must live in the same residence as does the sibling magnet student(s).

IV. Placement of Magnet Employees’ Children

A.Employees’ children are given placement preference only to the magnet school where the worker is a fulltime employee.

B.An employee's child must make application to the desired magnet school and meet all other criteria for selection as would any other Mobile County Public School System resident student that requests placement.

C.A copy of the social security number of the employee must be filed with the Magnet Schools Program Office.

D.A written request for placement of an employee's child along with written employment verification is sent to the Magnet Schools Program Office by the magnet school's principal.

E.An opening in the desired school must be available for the employee's child.

V. Magnet Selection Process

A. Processing of Magnet School Applications

1.Applications are collected and submitted to the Magnet Schools Program Office where demographic information is scanned into the magnet database.

2.Complete student applications are included in the magnet selection process. Incomplete applications are not processed.

3.Falsification of data on a magnet application disqualifies a student from the selection process and is grounds for removal of the student from the selected magnet school.

4.Applications are assigned a randomnumber during the magnet selection process by a computer program.

5. Processing of an application places a student’s name into the Waiting Pool of Applicants for the requested magnet school(s) in random number order.

B. Vacancies declared by the magnet school principal are filled by the lowest randomnumberstudent desiring placement from the Waiting Pool of Applicants.

1.As the computer process selects a student's random number, the magnet schools' placement needs are checked for an opening. If a vacancy is found, the student is selected and notified by mail.

2.If no vacancy is available, the student's random number and application record remain in the Waiting Pool of Applicants until subsequent drawings are held.

  1. The selection process doesn't select a certain number of students from each sending school. The computer process selects an applicant based on their “random number” for the vacancy declared by a magnet principal.
  1. During the selection process, the computer reads the magnet application, which may include up to three choices of magnet schools. Note: there is no 1st choice, 2nd choice, or 3rd choice rank of desirability. Parents are instructed to mark schools they sincerely want their children to attend.
  2. The computer program creates a record for each requested magnet school.
  1. Each record is processed independently of others.
  1. Once a child is computer selected to fill a magnet school vacancy, the computer program closes the records for any other “applied for” magnet school(s). This prevents a student from being selected for more than one magnet school.
  1. A student has a minimum of FIVE working days to accept a magnet school placement.
  1. If a student does not report to a selected magnet school during the designated time period, the student's file is marked NotCommitted, and the vacancy is offered to the next name drawn from the Waiting Pool of Applicants.

VI. Frequency of Drawings

A. The official application period for the Magnet Schools Program begins the second Monday of
January and ends the last day of February. Computerized drawings are held to fill declared
vacancies.

1.Drawing 1: The majority of students are selected from the April drawing. Selected students are drawn from all applications collected from the second Monday of January until the last day of February.

  1. Drawing 2: In May, any omitted siblings are placed if possible. Placements offered but not accepted from Drawing 1 are declared vacancies and are offered to new students from the Waiting Pool of Applicants.

3. Drawing 3: Upon completion of the regular school year in May, when the number of magnet failures are determined and the report cards of the newly selected students are checked, another drawing is held.

  1. Drawing 4: In early August, vacancies created by students who have withdrawn over the summer are filled.
  2. Drawing 5: In mid-August, after the third day of enrollment, students who did not report to fill their opening in a selected magnet school are declared to be noshows, and their place in the selected magnet school becomes avacancy.
  1. Applicants are drawn to fill vacancies until 30 days after the beginning of school.
  2. Students are not placed into elementary or middle school magnet programs after the first month of the school year due to the accelerated nature of the curriculums and increased promotion requirements.
  3. Students may be placed into high school magnet school programs at the end of the first semester.

VII. Funding of Magnet Schools

  1. Magnet schools are funded like every other school within the school system through state and local funding.
  1. No specific funding is provided just for magnet schools.
  2. Magnet schools write for education grants to help in funding programs.

B. Magnet Schools may make application for additional funds under Title V.

VIII. Magnet Themes

A. A proposed magnet school's community is surveyed for input to determine the theme for a new
magnet school.

B. Themes of the original seven magnet schools were determined as a provision of the Birdie Mae
Davis Consent Decree and have been voluntarily retained.
IX. General Guidelines

A. Legal Age to Enter School

1. Alabama Law Section 16284 Code of Alabama 1975 is on file in the Magnet Office and in the Office of Student Services of the MobileCountyPublic School System.

2. A Boardapproved school calendar determines the opening day of school.

3. A student would be eligible for enrollment if he/she were age five for kindergarten and age six
for first grade by September 2.

B. Birth Certificate

1. Parents are required to furnish a certified birth certificate and Certificate of Immunization to a
child's selected school.

C. Guardianship of Students
  1. A student must reside in the household of a current magnet student to be given sibling privileges.

2.A parent may be asked to provide certified custodial papers or guardianship papers for student(s) in question.

D. Social Security Numbers

1.Federal Law requires a student to have a social security number if the student is a U.S. citizen.

  1. Exchange students, Canadian citizens, etc. are issued a student number through the Office of Student Services. These student numbers are validated through the State of Alabama.
  1. Proof of Residence
  1. Students enrolled in the magnet Schools Program must be legal residents of the Mobile County Public School System. To verify residency, the parent or legal guardian must provide 2 legal proofs of residence.

Acceptable Proofs of Residence (Two (2) Proofs Required)

Required: One proof that reflects physical residence. (Example: Deed/Property Tax or Mortgage

Tax Statement/Lease/Rental Receipts).

1. Property Tax Records or Deeds (please blacken out any personal financial information).

Tax receipt record or deed.

2. Apartment or house lease.

Rent receipts / lease.

3. Mortgage statement.

Required: One (1) proof from one of the following:

1. Utility bills

Water/Gas/Telephone/Electric/Cable bills or deposit receipts/garbage service bill.

2. Income Tax Records From IRS to Parent/Guardian

Copy of check /correspondence from IRS.

3. Certificate of Residence Section on Form #SS-405 – Student Enrollment Information Card (must

be notarized).

4. Other Official Proofs

Check or correspondence from the Social Security Office, Department of Human Resources.

(DHR), Food Stamp Office or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

5. Bank Records

Checking/Savings/Loan statement.

Investment certificate.

6. Employment Records

Company check/Verification from employer.

7. Two Credit Card Accounts (counts as one (1) proof)

Any two (2) major credit card account statements.

  1. Withdrawal
X.Changes to Magnet Application

A.To add or delete a magnet school on an application, a parent is asked to put their request in writing prior to the next drawing and mail or deliver their request to the Magnet Schools Program Office.

B.To change an applicant's mailing address on a submitted application, the parent is asked to bring two proofs of residence verifying the new address. If different, the magnet clerk will change the address on the application file at the Magnet Schools Program Office. (See above for acceptable proof of residence).

XI. Enrollment
  1. Non-Special Education Students
  1. Upon selection to a magnet school, a student is sent a Selected Letter from the Magnet Schools Program Office.
  2. Non-special education children are also mailed a Magnet Schools Commitment of Attendance contract.
  3. The Selected Letter and the Commitment of Attendance contract must be returned to the selected magnet school to finalize placement.
  4. The Commitment of Attendance Contract will serve in lieu of a transfer to a magnet school for a period of one academic school year.

B. Special Education Students

  1. Upon selection to a magnet school, a student is sent a Selected Letter from the Magnet Schools Program Office.
  1. The selected magnet school is sent the student’s Commitment of Attendance Contract.
  1. Special education students are required to have a new IEP meeting to determine if the selected magnet school can meet the educational needs of the selected child. Federal Law requires that when a special education student's school is changed an IEP/PEP committee meeting must be held to determine the child's least restrictive environment. This protects the rights of the student and the system.
  1. Special education and 504 students are included in all drawings, although all magnet schools do not service all special education exceptionalities due to the accelerated nature of the magnet curriculums.
  1. Students may be selected for any magnet school; however, it is the function of the IEP or PEP committee to determine the least restrictive environment for each student.
  1. Magnet schools may provide reasonable accommodations for special education students, but not modified curriculums due to the accelerated nature of their instructional programs.
  1. A representative from the magnet school, either the principal or his designee, and a regular classroom teacher must be present at IEP meetings.
  1. The magnet principals use printouts verified against the Special Education Department’s database to determine the exceptionality and sending school of each special education student.
  1. The LEA of the selected magnet school along with the LEA of the sending school hold IEP or PEP meetings as soon as possible because the student's placement is held until this meeting is completed.
  1. After an IEP meeting is conducted, and it is determined that a magnet school can service the selected student's needs, a Magnet School Commitment of Attendance contractis offered to the student.
  1. The Selected Letter and Commitment of Attendance contract must be returned to the selected magnet school to finalize placement.

XII. Promotion Verification

A.Upon selection to a magnet school, report cards are checked by a magnet school’s administrator to determine that the student was promoted at the end of the regular academic year or term in high school without having to attend summer school.

B.A student must be promoted at the end of the regular school year or term in high school by their sending school's promotion standards.

C.A student required to attend summer school or moved on age is not eligible for magnet enrollment.

D.No child is placed on a magnet school's roll without the child's name appearing on a Selected Student's Report issued by the Magnet Schools Program Office.

E.Registration materials must be received in the selected magnet school's office by the registration deadline as published in the student's Selected Letter.

XIII. Replacement of Lost Registration Materials

A.If a child's “Selected Letter” is lost, the selected magnet school’s principal or his designee contacts the Magnet Schools Program Office to verify that the child is selected.

B.If the placement is correct, the Magnet Schools Program Office issues a duplicate Selected Letter and Magnet Schools Commitment of Attendance contractto the parent.

XIV. Commitment of Attendance

A.A signed Commitment of Attendance contract reserves placement for a selected student.

B.A special education student must have an IEP meeting at which time he may receive a Commitment of Attendance contract, if the selected magnet school can meet the educational needs of the student. Federal Law requires that an IEP/PEP committee meeting must be held to determine a special education student's least restrictive environment.

C.If the IEP committee determines that a selected magnet school can not provide the needed educational services, the Commitment of Attendance contract would not be binding.

XV. Continuation of Magnet Students within the Same Magnet Track

A.A rising student simply has to commit in January to go to the next grade within the same magnet track.

B.The student must be promoted to the next grade as of the end of the last day of the regular school year by the promotion standards specific to the sending magnet school to move from one magnet school to another magnet school.

C.A student required to attend summer school or moved by chronological age is not eligible to move to the next level in the magnet program.

D.A student currently enrolled in a magnet school but retained at the end of the year or term according to the MCPSS Student Pupil Progression Plan for that magnet school may repeat one grade inthesamemagnetschool. This is provided that a Commitment of Attendance contract was completed indicating that the student would return the next school year. The Commitment of Attendance contract must be returned to the school's office during the recommitment period (January) for returning students.

E.A high school magnet student must achieve promotion at the end of each term because of block scheduling. Failure to achieve promotion will result in the student being removed from the Magnet Schools Program and returned to a comprehensive high school program.

F.The student's report card must be verified for acceptance by the receiving magnet school.

G.The student must be enrolled in school and must not have been suspended more than twice or more than six (6) days during the school year preceding application for a magnet school program.

H.One Class C, D, or E offenses as listed in the MCPSS Student Code of Conduct is grounds for immediate dismissal from the Magnet Schools Program following all due process hearings.