Attendance Zones

Attendance Zones. (a) The Board shall establish standards for the formation and reorganization of attendance zones. Such standards may include: (1) Determination that the zones will enroll an adequate number of pupils; (2) Determination that the zones are organized on the basis of substantial community identity; (3) Determination that the zones will result in an equitable division of property and facilities; (4) Determination that the zones will not promote racial or ethnic discrimination or segregation; (5) Determination of the possible hazards to movement of pupils; (6) Determination of the effects on the program of study; and (7) Determination of the effects on other attendance zones; (b) Whenever the formation or reorganization of an attendance zone is under consideration, the Board will set a date and time for a public hearing and give at least ten (10) days public notice to all interested persons. All public notices shall be written in the official languages of the CNMI and shall be disseminated throughout the public schools and media. Interested persons shall be given a reasonable opportunity to express their views on the formation or reorganization of the attendance zone before the Board makes its decision regarding such formation or reorganization. (c) Except as provided in this section, every public school student shall attend a public school in the attendance zone in which the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) resides except for special education students which, upon a determination by the Commissioner, may be required to attend school in a different zone, if necessary services are not available in their home district. (d) Upon petition, the Commissioner may allow a student to attend classes in another attendance zone if: (1) Such inter-zone attendance would be in the best educational or health interest of the child; and (2) The requested transfer will not create an undue hardship on the receiving school. Source: PL 6-10, § 1 (§ 1532) ; repealed and reenacted by PL 20-48 § 3 (Mar. 28, 2018), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission renumbered this section pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(a). The Commission changed “students’” to “student’s” in (c) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g).