THOUSAND OAKS : Board Limits Open School Transfers

The Conejo Valley school board has agreed to establish limits on the number of students who can transfer to campuses outside their neighborhood school under the district’s open-enrollment policy.

The restrictions are designed to provide for children moving into growing neighborhoods who might otherwise be unable to enroll in local schools because classes are already filled by pupils coming from elsewhere.

“It is to reserve space for people who live in neighborhoods or are moving into neighborhoods,” Assistant Supt. Richard Simpson said. “We try to maintain a buffer.”

In January, 1994, the board adopted a school-choice policy that allows parents to send their children to any school within the Conejo Valley Unified School District--not just their local neighborhood school.

Officials say the policy has been well received, with 97% of applicants receiving authorization to attend their school of choice.

But there have been problems.

At Westlake Hills Elementary, for example, about 30 new students who moved into the growing North Ranch area last summer were unable to attend their local school because classes had been filled by student transfers.

The board Thursday night limited the number of student transfers and reserved space for those who move into the area.

Five elementary schools in high-growth areas thus will have no space for transfers next year. They are Aspen, Banyan, University, Weathersfield and Westlake Hills schools.

“They are so close to their absolute limits . . . we want to be sure we reserve space for the actual neighborhood,” Simpson said.

The board also amended the school-choice policy to prohibit more than one school transfer a year for each student, while reserving more space for special-education students.