Policy JC/JCA/JECB – School Attendance Zones/Transfers and Withdrawals

In May of 1970, the School District of Georgetown County was placed under court order by a federal judge.  A part of this court order divided the County of Georgetown into elementary and secondary attendance zones for all students of the county.  In 1997, the Board entered into a Consent Decree with the United States Department of Justice which outlined further steps to be taken to ensure the goal of orderly desegregation of the district.  The attendance zones are inflexible and must be enforced for attendance purposes.  All administrators are charged with the responsibility of reporting any zone violations which they have observed.

Intra-District Transfers

The Superintendent or designee shall have the discretion to grant intra-district transfers to students on the basis of exceptional and compelling personal hardship unique to the student or the student’s family, which do not unlawfully contribute to re-separation of the races.  If health or safety emergencies mandate additional transfers, the District will seek the United States’ written consent for approval of the transfers.

Permission for a resident student to transfer to a school other than that within the attendance area of residence may be granted upon receipt of a written request from the parent or guardian of a student under the following conditions:

Majority to Minority

Any student enrolled in a school where the percentage of his/her racial/ethnic group exceeds the district-wide percentage may transfer to any other school in the district where that racial/ethnic group is in the minority.  For transfer purposes, the district-wide ratio is 58% Black and 42% other (being students not of Hispanic or Black origins).

Each student transferring to another school in the district under the terms of the ethnic transfer rule will be permitted to ride the school bus of the attendance area requested IF space is available and the parents or legal guardian of the student(s) provide or arrange transport for the student(s) to a bus stop in the attendance area requested.

The District shall aggressively publicize the majority/minority transfer option and will facilitate the effort of students who choose this option.  The District will maintain records of all desegregative transfer requests including the race of the students and the reason for any denial of a transfer.

Child Care (Hardship)

An elementary/middle school student whose working parent or guardian shows an extreme hardship in providing child care before and/or after school may be eligible for a transfer.

The District shall carefully monitor transfers made under the childcare hardship exception to ensure that such transfers do not adversely affect desegregation with the District.  The District shall maintain records of all such transfers, including sending school, receiving school, the race of the transferring student and documentation establishing the need for the transfer.  The District shall include summary information on such transfers in its annual compliance reporting to the U.S. Department of Justice.  If, at any time, the childcare hardship exception has a substantial adverse effect on desegregation in the District, the exception may be revised or eliminated.

Policy JC/JCA/JECB – School Attendance Zones/Transfers and Withdrawals is available on the school district’s website.  You may also obtain a copy of the policy from any department with the district office or at any school within the school district.

Admission of Non-Resident Students

Students who have been in attendance at a school in another district will be accepted by Georgetown County on the following basis:

Students from another county of this State will be allowed to attend a school of this county if they receive a release from the Board of Education of the district in which they reside and permission from the Georgetown County Board of Education.

Parent/Guardians shall pay an annual tuition equal to the local base student cost as determined by the Education Finance Act and the State Department of Education.  Any county taxes paid to the treasurer of Georgetown County by the parent/guardian for school purposes during the immediate preceding year may be applied as a part of this tuition.  Evidence of this payment of taxes, which is a receipted tax notice from the Office of the County Treasurer, must be presented when tuition is paid.

This fee is payable in up to four (4) installments, due at the beginning of each nine-week period.  Students who have been in attendance at a school in another district will be accepted by Georgetown County on the following basis:

1. Students must be residing with a parent or legal guardian who is a resident of the school district
2. Students must be in good standing with the school they last attended
3. Students enrolling after September 9, 1997 for the school year and not residing with a parent or legal guardian will be required to pay tuition equal to the local base student cost as determined by the Education Finance Act and the State Department of Education.
1. Students enrolling under #3 above must make application in writing to the Superintendent or designee.  Such applications must include the name and address of the person with whom the student resides and the reason a transfer is being granted.
4. Exceptions to the above will be considered when extreme hardship will result if such transfer is not made.  Such circumstances shall include, for example:  Situations identified in 59-63-31 of South Carolina Code of Laws.

Student’s Parent/Guardian Full-Time Employee of Georgetown County Schools

Students whose parents or guardians are employed full-time by the district in an attendance zone other than the one in which they reside may enroll in the school in the zone in which the parent/guardian is employed.

Georgetown County School District
2018 Church St
Georgetown, SC 29440

Phone: 843-436-7000

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