Transfers

Written By Steve Glenn

Updated at October 8th, 2024

Knox County Schools have specific zones set up for school attendance. Knox County students must attend the school in the zone where their legal parents/guardians reside unless granted an approved transfer. If a parent would like for their child(ren) to attend a school outside his or her zone beginning in the upcoming school year, a transfer must be granted. An approved transfer is valid through terminal grade of the school, (K-5, 6-8, 9-12). If approved, parents will be responsible for transportation and shall accompany their student(s) to the school for enrollment/registration.

A student transfer may be recommended for revocation for good and sufficient reasons, such as:

  • Attendance
  • Discipline
  • Lack of academic progress

During the school year students may also be placed in a school outside of their zoned school by the Superintendent for the following reasons:

  • Safety
  • Welfare of the student
  • Programming 

Note: Requests for consideration of administrative placement must be made in writing and submitted to Brian Hartsell via email, US Mail or hand delivery.  Administrative placements will be approved to a school that can accommodate the student. (space, programming, staffing, etc.)

Definitions

Base School:  The school located in the parent’s or guardian’s school zone of residence where the student is required to attend unless a transfer is granted.

Receiving School:  The school to which a transfer is requested or granted.

Out-of-Zone Student: A student who attends a school that is not his or her base school.

Sibling:  A brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or foster child living in the same household

Lottery Style:  The electronic process which will be used to assign each transfer application a number for selecting students to be transferred. School assignments will be made in the order of the assigned numbers within certain priorities based on seats available. For determining seats available at schools, KCS will use grade clusters of: Grades K-3, Grades 4-5, Grade 6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12.

Transfer Application

Only the student’s parent or guardian may apply for a transfer on behalf of the student. The Director of Schools has established a transfer procedure that will provide transparent and equitable opportunity for transfer to all applicants. If an application is not made at the proper time, or is denied, students shall report to their base school at the beginning of the new school year.

APPLY FOR A TRANSFER

Priorities

The order of priorities shall be:

  1. Teacher’s Children at the school in which they teach (per Tennessee Code Annotated)
  2. Employees (Board Policy and Procedure J-152)
  3. Sibling of a currently enrolled student (Board Policy and Procedure J-152)
  4. Continuation in Project GRAD (Board Policy and Procedure J-152)
  5. Academic Program of Study (Board Policy and Procedure J-152)
  6. Others in Knox County (Board Policy and Procedure J-152)
  7. Out-of-County (After all Knox County students have been assigned)(Board Policy and Procedure J-152)

General Conditions

Transportation – Transportation will not be provided by Knox County Board of Education. Unless so stated, transportation shall be the responsibility of the parents, guardians or students.

Available Capacity – All transfers are subject to limitations of available capacity. Determinations of capacity will take into consideration physical space available, program offerings and the staffing level established under the school system staffing model.

Wrongful Transfer or Enrollment – Any out-of-zone zone or out-of-district student in grades 6-12 found to be enrolled in or attending a school other than their base school without an approved transfer shall be returned to the appropriate base school at the end of the semester in which the violation is discovered. Students in grades K-5 shall return to their base school at the end of the nine week grading period in which the violation was discovered. If the wrongful transfer or enrollment is believed to have been a willful action on the part of a parent or guardian, the Director of Schools may pursue action under the provisions of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

Duration – Approved general transfers are generally effective through the terminal grade of the school to which the student is assigned. Students granted transfers will be expected to maintain an appropriate academic, disciplinary and attendance record at the receiving school. If a student does not meet these expectations, the principal of the receiving school may request that the transfer be revoked and the student be returned to the base school. The Director of Schools or his designee shall review, and approve or deny any principal’s request to revoke a student transfer. Students who are directed to return to their base school shall do so at the end of the semester, unless the Director of Schools determines it is in the best interest of the student and/or the school system to do otherwise.

Appeal – The school system’s decision in the selection of request school for students applying for Magnet or courses not offered in their base school are not appealable. Parents/guardians may appeal all other transfer decisions to school officials in the following order:

  1. Supervisor of Enrollment
  2. Appeals Committee
  3. Director of Schools
  4. Knox County Board of Education

TSSAA Restrictions – Students who participate in TSSAA governed sports and transfer may lose athletic eligibility for one year.

Transfer vs Enrollment

Student Transfer - An approved student transfer is needed to attend any school other than the school for which the student is zoned

Enrollment - Students new to Knox County Schools may seek enrollment at their zoned school.

NOTE: Students moving into Knox County during summer months do not need to apply for transfer to attend their zoned Knox County School. Student enrollment (in most cases) is completed at the individual schools.

If you have any questions regarding transfers or enrollment please contact the Enrollment Office at 865-594-1502.

When enrolling a student, parents/guardians should present the following information or documentation to the enrolling school:

1. Record of Birth – Examples include but are not limited to the following:  

  • Birth Certificate – issued by any government
  • Passport issued by any nation (translated)
  • Immigration documentation
  • Decree of adoption or other records issued by a court

2. Immunization Records - Tennessee Certificate of Immunization (Please contact the Knox County Health Department if the records are from another state)

3. Recent Physical Examination

4. Proof of Residence - Examples include but are not limited to the following:  

  • Utility bill
  • Lease agreement
  • In cases where the utilities and/or lease agreement is in the name of a person other than the parent/guardian, the person listed must provide the utility bill and/or lease agreement and also must provide a notarized letter stating that the parent/guardian and children are living at that address.  

5. Proof of Custody (if applicable)

6. Name and Address of the child's previous school

 

FAQs

What are the priorities for granting transfers?
Once an application has been verified, all requests for general transfer will be electronically assigned a number using a lottery-style process. School assignment will be made in order of the assigned number within the ordered priorities listed below:

  1. By teachers to transfer their child to the school in which they teach
  2. By contract employee for their children
  3. For entry into a Magnet School or to continue in the magnet school feeder program
  4. For continuation in the Project GRAD program 
  5. For the pursuit of an academic course of study. Transfers based on an academic course of study will be considered only for a complete course of study such as two, three or four-year program of study that is not available at a base school or where the base school is unable to offer a comparable course of study. Transfers requested for a single class do not constitute a complete course of study and will be handled as a general transfer request
  6. For students who have a sibling presently enrolled at the requested school who will continue to be enrolled in the year the requested transfer is effective. For purposes of transfers, a sibling is defined as a brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or foster child living in the same household
  7. For students not meeting any of the above criteria
  8. Out of district students

Can I Apply for a Transfer After This General Transfer Window?
Parents or guardians of students changing residence or family status or moving into Knox County after this application period may apply for transfer during the summer transfer window. Please call the Transfers/Enrollment Office at 865-594-1502 for more information.

For How Long is the Transfer Good?
A transfer is good through the terminal grade of the school to which the transfer was granted. For example, a transfer to an elementary school will be good through grade five and a transfer to a middle school will be good through grade eight. However, student transfers may be revoked due to grades, attendance and/or behavior issues.

Is Transportation Provided for Students Granted a Transfer?
No. Transportation is not provided for transferring students unless the transfer approval specifically states that transportation will be provided by Knox County Schools.

When Can I Apply for a Transfer?
General transfers must be requested during one of the annually established periods. 

  • Period one shall begin on the first business day of October and end on the Tuesday following President’s Day. 
  • Period two shall begin on the first business day of May and end on the first business day in July. 

Parents or guardians of students changing residence or family status after the general transfer application periods have concluded may apply for a transfer to the Office of the Supervisor of Enrollment. If an application is not made at the proper time or is denied, students shall report to their base school at the beginning of the new school year.

Note: Transfers are requested during the school year prior to the transfer year. For instance, a student wishing to obtain a transfer to attend a particular high school as a 9th grader would apply during the transfer windows that open during the student's eighth grade school year.

Where Do I Get a Transfer Application?

  1. Apply for a transfer
  2. Complete KCS Form AD-102; English, Spanish
  3. Pick up a form at any school.

When Will I Find Out if my Transfer Request has been Granted?
Official notification of the status of a transfer request will be made in hard copy format through the U. S. Mail. Official notification will be made no later than six weeks after the transfer window closes.

If I Have Questions, to Whom Should I Direct Them?
To the Knox County Schools Transfers/Enrollment Office at 865-594-1502.

 
 

 

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