FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Revised School Attendance Boundaries, 2003-2004 School Year
Prepared by Bill Johnson, Ed.D., Chief of Facilities and Operations, September 2002

Q: 

 

 If I live in one of the areas affected by the boundary change, but don't fall under the grandfathering provisions, is there a way my children can still attend the school they would have attended if not for the boundary change?
A: Current students living in the areas where boundaries have been changed will be given priority for open enrollment. You may apply for open enrollment between Dec. 1 and Feb. 1. Transportation for open enrolled students is the responsibility of the parents.
 
Q: If my children are grandfathered at their current school, but I prefer they attend the new school, can they?
A: If you prefer to have your children move to the new school next year instead of remain at their current school, you may apply for open enrollment on a space available basis. You may apply for open enrollment between Dec. 1 and Feb. 1. District transportation will be available for these students.
 
Q: If my children attend Cheyenne Traditional School, which middle school and high school would they attend?
A: Because Cheyenne Traditional School is a K-8 school of choice, it does not have attendance boundaries of its own and does not feed into a specific middle or high school. Students who leave Cheyenne Traditional prior to completing the eighth grade return to their regular school of attendance based on their home address. For example, students living within the Aztec attendance area, but attending Cheyenne, would attend Desert Canyon Middle if they were to exit Cheyenne during the middle school years.
 
Q: If I live in the area being changed to Aztec Elementary, but my children remain at Anasazi through grandfathering or open enrollment, will they automatically feed into Mountainside Middle?
A: No. Attendance through grandfathering or open enrollment is only applicable to the current school the student is at. Students entering middle school from this area who aren't grandfathered, but choose to attend Mountainside will be given first priority for open enrollment on a space available basis.
 
Q: If I live in the area being changed from Mountainside to Desert Canyon, but have a current student at Mountainside, will my younger children also be able to attend Mountainside?
A: Younger siblings of grandfathered students are also grandfathered as long as they are concurrently enrolled in the same school. Once at Mountainside under this scenario, the younger sibling is also grandfathered.
 
Q: If I live in the area being changed from Mountainside to Desert Canyon, have a current student at Mountainside, a second child who will be concurrently enrolled in middle school, and a third child who will enter middle school while the second child is still there, will the third child be grandfathered also?
A: Yes, as long as two or more children are at Mountainside together, the grandfathering applies.
 
Q: Why isn't the school district providing transportation to all students who want to open enroll and for more years into the future?
A: The school district does not own a sufficient number of school buses to add the number of routes that would be required. A significant proportion of the district's buses are nearing the end of their useful life and need to be retired over the next few years. School buses cost about $90,000 each.
 
Q: If my children open enroll to a school, are they guaranteed to remain there until they finish?
A: Open enrolled students must reapply every year. Due to the uncertainty of the future, continued open enrollment cannot be guaranteed. However, the school district makes every reasonable effort to accommodate open enrolled students at the same school once they are there.
 
Q: During the transition period, when the school district is providing transportation to my grandfathered student(s), can their younger siblings also ride the bus if they are open enrolled in the same school?
A: Yes, younger siblings of grandfathered students attending the same school under open enrollment can ride the bus together. Once the transition or initial grandfathering period is over, parents will be responsible for transportation for students who are open enrolled.
 
Q: If I live in an area that is changing school boundaries next year, may I go ahead and enroll my children in their new school for the current year?
A: You may apply for open enrollment for the current year subject to available space and adequate teaching staff in the grade your child is in.
 
Q: If I live in the area that is changing from Saguaro to Chaparral and I have a younger child who will be attending Chaparral and an older child already at Saguaro, can the older child transfer to Chaparral?
A:

Students already in high school are grandfathered at their current school. However, if they have younger siblings who will be entering Chaparral under the boundary change, they may apply for open enrollment subject to available space and adequate teaching staff in their grade level.