BHUSD Sets April 15 Deadline for School Selection Guarantee

The Beverly Hills Unified School District began accepting new student enrollment applications last week for the 2012-13 school year, with a registration deadline of April 15 to guarantee enrollment at the K-8 school closest to one’s residence.

The Board of Education last month voted to move up the deadline from May 16 to April 15 in order to help BHUSD officials make quicker decisions about how many teachers are needed in each school. By law, Beverly Hills must accommodate any student who moves into the district at any time, but BHUSD does not have to enroll the student at the school closest to his or her home.

The guarantee of one’s “home school” is considered a perk for residents. Students who enroll in their neighborhood school after April 15 may be assigned to another city school with more space.

Those new to the school district should go to their home school to enroll. Confused about your home school? Click here for the district map.

Guardians of kindergarten students will need to bring an original birth certificate or a passport showing that their child was born on or before Nov. 1, 2007, while all residents new to the district will need to bring the following information:

• Verification of identity through an official photo ID.
• Verification of residency through a current lease/rental agreement listing all occupants, including school-aged children, or a current Los Angeles County property tax bill, mortgage statement or grant deed.
• A current Southern California Edison bill—top and bottom.
• Two additional forms of residency showing a guardian’s name and address. These additional documents could include a current gas, cable, water or waste management bill, or current income tax documents.

The district also began accepting applications Feb. 1 for intra-district permits for those who wish to send their children to a school different from their home school. Intra-district transfer applications are available from the BHUSD Child Welfare and Attendance Office at the .

Residents seeking an intra-district permit are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, although no guarantee is offered.

“The district always attempts to honor as many intra-district transfer requests as possible,” Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said. “Our ability to do so is based on space availability and on the priorities set by the [school] board.”

The first priority is to ensure that all students can attend their home school, Murakawa-Leopard said. The next priority is to unite siblings at the same school. After that the district considers child welfare issues.

Preference requests made by guardians are considered last. If there is not enough room to accommodate all preference requests, remaining spaces are awarded by a random lottery.

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