Students in Murray County, Georgia, will now be able to attend an out-of-district school if they have spent at least three consecutive years in that school's "feeder pattern." In effect, this new policy will allow students to continue attending classes in the same school with the same students, even if their family moves into a new home on the opposite end of the county.
A "feeder pattern" is the intended flow from one school to another within a school district, from elementary to middle and high school. That means that under the new policy, a student attending Northwest Elementary School for at least three years could, for example, attend Bagley Middle School, even if they were no longer living within the Bagley district. Similarly, a Gladden Middle School student entering high school could attend Murray County High School, even if they transferred into the North Murray High School district before the start of the school year.
The policy, approved last Thursday by the Murray County Board of Education, replaces existing rules that required students to attend schools based solely on where they lived within the county.
Murray County students who want to remain in their home feeding patterns after a change of residence will only be allowed to do so if they have attended three or more consecutive years in that feeding pattern. They will also be required to maintain satisfactory attendance with no more than five unexcused absences or tardies; maintain satisfactory behavior as determined by their school's administration; maintain a grade average of B or higher; remain on track to graduate; and, to the extent possible, participate in at least one extracurricular activity each school year.
Students will not be permitted to swap between feeder patterns. A student who moved out of the Gladden Middle School district and attended Bagley Middle School could not come back after a year, for example, and attend school at Gladden unless their family moved back into its geographic district.
"In the event that a student [attending a school in their home pattern after a move] subsequently moves to a school in the feeder pattern of his or her residence, they must remain in that feeder pattern, unless there is another bona fide change of residence to home pattern," the policy states.
Transportation to and from school will be provided only to students attending school in their assigned attendance zone.
- Compiled by Kelcey Caulder