Policies & Procedures

Falsification of records to the school district could affect the enrollment status of the student.

Children entering Kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before September 2. Children entering First Grade must be 6 years old on or before September 2. Parents may opt to wait until their child is six (6) years old before enrolling if a letter of intent is received by the board of education on behalf of the student. (Alabama State Code, Sec. 16286)

The geographic area bounded by the Boaz City Limits, as defined by the Boaz City Council, constitutes the official school zone of Boaz City Schools. All students residing within the school zone are considered resident students. Students residing outside of the school zone are considered non-resident students.

School-age children, who reside within the school zone, must present documentation that he/she has a legal custodian (parent, parent designated primary physical custodian, court appointed legal custodian) who actually resides within the city limits of Boaz, Alabama.

The legal guardian is ultimately responsible for demonstrating that his/her residence is within the school zone in question. The Boaz City School Superintendent or his designee will decide any questions concerning the validity of the proof of residence offered by the legal custodian, and decisions will be based on board policy.

Ref: A Delegation of Parental Authority, Ala. Code §26-2A-7, does not establish residence for the purpose of school enrollment. The mere filing of a “Dependent Complaint Custody Affidavit and Petition”, Ala. Code §26- 2A-75, in Marshall County Family Court does not create the necessary parental or custodial relationship required to establish residence for the purpose of school enrollment. A “Dependent Complaint Custody Affidavit and Petition” properly filed in Marshall County Family Court and granted by the judge is sufficient to confer the requisite parental or custodial relationship to establish residence for the purpose of school enrollment.

For purposes of this policy, the residence of the student will be the residence of the custodial parent or legal guardian. Court documents should be presented to illustrate custody or guardianship. If custody of the child is shared, alternating, or unclear, or if the child does not reside with a custodial parent or legal guardian, the domicile (The domicile or the legal residence, as used herein, shall mean the true, fixed and permanent home and principal establishment to which, whenever absent, the parent, parent with primary physical custody, or the court appointed legal guardian of the student has the intention of returning. The domicile or the legal residence, as used herein, is distinguished from a temporary or secondary place of residence established for some specific purpose, but not the fixed permanent residence of the parent, parent with physical custody, or the court appointed legal custodian) or actual physical residence of the child will control, except when there is evidence that the claimed residence of the child is not his actual residence, or that the claimed residence is fraudulently given as a means of avoiding or violating admission, enrollment, attendance, and residency
standards and requirements.

Exceptions will be made for special circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

The Open Enrollment Policy may be viewed at www.boazk12.org , or obtained by contacting the office of the superintendent. Additionally, admission through Open Enrollment:

1. Requires payment prior to enrollment of non-refundable, annual tuition in the amount set by the Board of Education.
2. Is made with the understanding that the Boaz City School System shall not provide transportation or homebound instruction to students residing outside the Boaz City Limits.
3. Is conditional and may be revoked for failure to maintain passing grades, attendance, or acceptable behavior.
4. May be denied for providing false, misleading, or incomplete enrollment application information.

Required Documents: Each student applying for enrollment in the Boaz City School System shall submit, or have on file, documentation verifying minimum eligibility. The Superintendent may accept alternate forms of documentation as necessary and appropriate to accommodate migrant, immigrant, homeless, or unaccompanied students (see Definitions). Documents required for enrollment include, but are not limited to:

1. Certified Birth Certificate;
2. Proof of Residency (e.g. utility bill for the previous two billing cycles, homeowner or renter insurance statement, etc.);
3. Certificate of Immunization, or an exemption as prescribed by the Health Department, signed by a physician or appropriate Health Department official;
4. Certified Academic Transcript for students transferring into the Boaz City School System from a school not in the Boaz City School System.

At no time shall the Boaz City School System furnish any service(s), including but not limited to, transportation to and from outside of the official school zone of Boaz City Schools. In addition, BCSS will not pick up or drop off at relatives (grandparents, babysitters, etc.) if student or guardians live outside the city limits. At no time will any students be picked up or dropped off at a business.

The Boaz City School System shall determine student placement in accordance with state law.

Principals shall assign students to classes in accordance with school accreditation standards and any procedures or criteria established at the system or school level.

The Boaz City Board of Education recognizes that parents have the right to withdraw their child(ren) from public school and enroll him/her in a private school, church schooling program or other non-accredited school.

Admissions and grade level placement of students transferring from non-accredited elementary, junior/middle or high schools will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are withdrawing from school and transferring to another school must turn in all textbooks, library books, and all debts must be paid. Office personnel will give the parents a transfer slip to be presented at the child's next school. No student of Compulsory Attendance Age shall be permitted to withdraw from school except in accordance with state law and any withdrawal procedures developed by the Superintendent.

Admission Policy for Homeless, Migratory, and Limited English Proficient Students
Pursuant to the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001, all homeless, migratory and limited English proficient children must have equal access to the same free appropriate public education, including public preschool education, provided to other children and youth. This shall be the policy of the Boaz City School System. Such children will be provided the opportunity to meet the same challenging state content and state student performance standards to which all students are held without being stigmatized or isolated.

The enrollment of homeless, migrant and limited English proficient children and youth shall not be denied or delayed due to any of the following barriers:

• Lack of birth certificate
• Lack of school records or transcripts
• Lack of immunization or health records
• Lack of proof of residency
• Lack of transportation
• Guardianship or custody requirements

Enrollment under the homeless, migrant, ESL status does not relinquish the parent/guardian from seeking to obtain the necessary required entry documents. School staff will work with the parents of students enrolling under this status to obtain the appropriate items during the school year.

The superintendent may accept alternate forms of evidence or modify otherwise applicable requirements as necessary and appropriate to accommodate migrant, immigrant, EL or homeless students.

• No student shall engage in harassment, intimidation, violence, or threats of violence on school property, on a school bus, or at any school-sponsored function. 
• No person shall engage in reprisal, retaliation, or false accusation against a victim, witness, or other person who has reliable information about an act of harassment, violence, or threat of violence.
• Any student, or parent or guardian of the student, who is the object of harassment may file a complaint outlining the details of the harassment, on a form authorized by the local board, and submit the form to the official designated by the local board to receive complaints at the school 

• The full Jamari Terrell Williams Student Bullying Prevention Act policy can be found in the Boaz City School System Policy Manual.

Sexual harassment will not be tolerated; and immediate, positive steps to stop sexual harassment activity will be taken when it occurs. Sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome and personally offensive conduct (including, but not limited to, advances, gestures or words of a sexual nature) which

• Unreasonably interferes with the student’s work or educational opportunities; 
• Creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment; 
• Implies that submission to such conduct is made an explicit or implicit term of receiving grades or credit; and/or
• Implies that submission to, or rejection of, such conduct will be used as a basis for determining the student’s grades and/or participation in a student activity. 

Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, offensive or unwelcome sexual advances or propositions; any unwelcome intentional touching of intimate body areas; employees dating students; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; graphic or degrading verbal comments about an individual or his/her physical attributes; the display of sexually suggestive objectives, pictures, cards or letters; lewd or suggestive comments, sounds or gestures; off-color language; jokes of a sexual nature; leering; or assault. 

The definition of sexual harassment includes conduct directed by males toward females, conduct directed by males toward males, conduct directed by females toward males, and conduct directed by females toward females.

Victims of sexual harassment shall report sexual harassment activity to the immediate supervisor of the offending person immediately upon occurrence or, if they prefer, to a counselor or assistant principal with whom they feel comfortable. The person to whom the incident is reported will have the responsibility of reporting the incident to the proper supervisor. The proper supervisor will then follow grievance procedures that have been adopted by the Boaz City School System.

The possession, use, sale or distribution of tobacco/nicotine products designed to enhance nicotine (including, but not limited to) electronic cigarettes or enhancement products paraphernalia, as well as unlawful drugs, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Boaz City Schools and at any school sponsored or school related event.

The Boaz City Board of Education has implemented a random drug testing policy that may result in loss of parking privileges on school premises and discipline including suspension from student competitive activities.