Internal Transfer Procedures and Approval Criteria

1. The procedures for requesting and processing an internal transfer request shall be as follows:

   1. The adult student or parent/legal guardian shall complete an Application for Student Internal Transfer Form on a form provided by the MMSD and file the application with the MMSD Enrollment Office.

   2. Applications for Internal Transfers for the next academic year will be accepted beginning on the first 1st Monday in May of the preceding academic year until 4:00 p.m. on the third subsequent Friday.  This application period is deemed to be the “first application period.”

   3. Applications for Internal Transfers will also be accepted after the third Friday in May until 4:00 p.m. of the second Friday immediately prior to the first day of school or the last day of registration, whichever is earlier.  This application period is deemed to be the “second application period.”

   4. After applications from the first application period have been received, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall determine whether space is available in the requested schools.  If no space is available at a particular school all applications shall be denied and parents will be informed of such denial.

   5. All applications will be grouped based upon the following weighted priority categories and applications will be approved from higher level priority categories first prior to approving applications in lower level priority categories:

      1. The student has a sibling attending the requested school and the sibling will continue to attend the new school at the same time as the applicant if the application is granted.

      2. The student has a parent who is a staff member at the requested school.

      3. The student has a change or anticipated change of residence on or before the second Friday immediately prior to the first day of school or the last day of registration, whichever is earlier, and seeks to remain at his/her original school of attendance provided that the student has been enrolled in and attended the original school of attendance.  This preference does not apply to students enrolled in the District’s 4-year-old-kindergarten program.

      4. All remaining transfer applications.

   6. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of spaces available in a school, or if applications have been denied pursuant to 1.d. above, students will be placed on a school specific waiting list that shall consist of students receiving priority (see above) placed first on the list in random order and all other students placed on the list in a randomly selected order thereafter.

   7. If a student falls into 2 or more of priority categories 1.e.i. (sibling at school) 1.e.ii. (parent as a staff member) or 1.e.iii. (change of residence), the student shall be placed above all other students on the list.  If more than one student falls into 2 or more priority categories, those students shall be placed in random order above all other students on the list.  It is the responsibility of the adult student or parent/legal guardian to indicate all preferences for which the student is eligible on the Application for Student Internal Transfer Form.

   8. All students who applied during the first application period shall receive preference over those students who applied during the second application period and no student who applied during the second application period may be approved until all students who applied during the first application period have been approved.

   9. For students who applied during the first application period, the adult student or the parent/legal guardian shall be notified by the Superintendent or his/her designee whether the application is accepted or denied on or before July 1.  If the application is granted, such notice shall include a statement regarding the adult student’s or parental/legal guardian’s responsibility for transportation and regular school attendance of the student, the possibility that the transfer may be revoked due to poor attendance and the requirement to reapply for an internal transfer prior to progressing to the next school in the natural progression of schools.

   10. The adult student or parent/legal guardian must notify the Superintendent or his/her designee within 15 business days whether they will accept the transfer.  If the adult student or parent/legal guardian declines or fails to respond within 15 business days the student’s name will be removed from the list.

   11. The District will again analyze school space availability after student registration dates and, if feasible, allow students to internally transfer into their requested school.

   12. If it is determined that additional space is available at a school, the District will use the lists created pursuant to 1.e. above in approving additional applications.

   13. If it is determined that additional space is available at a school the next student on the list associated with that school shall be notified on or before the Thursday before the first day of school.  Such notice shall include a statement regarding the adult student’s or parental/legal guardian’s responsibility for transportation and regular school attendance of the student, the possibility that the transfer may be revoked due to poor attendance and the requirement to reapply for an internal transfer prior to progressing to the next school in the natural progression of schools.

   14. All determinations regarding approval or denial of an internal transfer request are final.

2. The procedures for requesting and processing an internal transfer request at the transitions from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school shall be as follows:
    

   1. All students who are granted an internal transfer to a school on or after July 1, 2014, must reapply for an internal transfer in order to continue to attend the next school in the natural progression associated with the school into which the student transferred.  Reapplication is not required if the next school in the natural progression associated with the school into which the student internally transferred is the same school assigned to the attendance area of the student’s legal residence.  For example, a student who is granted an internal transfer into an elementary school must reapply for an internal transfer in order to attend the middle school in the normal feeder pattern of that elementary school, unless the middle school is the assigned feeder school of the student’s legal residence.

   2. Applications for internal transfers requests at the transitions from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school will be accepted beginning on the first 1st Monday in May until 4:00 p.m. on the third Friday in May of the preceding academic year.

   3. After all requests have been received, the Superintendent or his/her designee will deny all applications for transfers into schools that do not have sufficient space or the required special education and/or related services.

   4. The remaining requests will be granted based upon the procedures set forth in 1.e through m. above except that students seeking to continue to attend the next school in the natural progression will be approved first before any students who are applying to the school from outside of the natural progression associated with the school. 

3. Revocation of internal transfers.

   1. Based upon the recommendation of the building principal, the Superintendent or his/her designee may revoke an internal transfer for reasons related to absenteeism or truancy.  If a principal recommends a revocation based upon absenteeism or truancy, the principal shall ensure the following steps have been taken prior to the recommendation for revocation:

      1. The adult student or parent/legal guardian has been provided notice that the student’s absenteeism or truancy may result in revocation of their internal transfer.

      2. The school has met with the adult student or parent/legal guardian and the student and discussed the student’s absenteeism or truancy, offered an opportunity to the adult student or parent/legal guardian and the student to explain any absences that they believe have been incorrectly labeled as absences, and established a plan to address such absenteeism or truancy.

   2. The Superintendent or his/her designee may revoke a transfer for which there is evidence that the transfer was sought or obtained based on false information, deceptive practices, or in any manner that attempts to gain a privilege or advantage inconsistent with the intent of BOARD policies.  If the Superintendent or his/her designee seeks a revocation based upon the provision of false information or deceptive practices, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall ensure the following steps have been taken prior to revocation:

      1. The adult student or parent/legal guardian has been provided written notice of the false information or deceptive practice allegedly used by the adult student or parent/legal guardian.

      2. The Superintendent or his/her designee has met with the adult student or parent/legal guardian and provided the adult student or parent/legal guardian an opportunity to explain the allegedly false information or deceptive practice.

   3. The following limitations shall be observed when revoking internal transfers:

      1. When a transfer is revoked at any level, the revocation shall generally be effective at the conclusion of the regular school year.

      2. Following the revocation of an internal transfer, the Superintendent or his/her designee must grant approval for the same student to apply for a subsequent internal transfer at the same instructional level at which revocations occurred (i.e., elementary level or secondary).

Per Board of Education Policy 4023 - Internal Transfers, the following is a description of the method for determining space in a school, program, class and/or grade, including any explicit caps for the upcoming school year.

The MMSD internal transfer process provides an opportunity for our families to ask that their student attend an MMSD school that is outside of their regular MMSD attendance area.The internal transfer application process makes use of information about building capacity, classroom space, and other considerations to help ensure the best learning environments for all our students.Schools that are determined to be crowded are not eligible to receive applications for new internal transfers. Crowded is defined as at or above 95% the school capacity.

The internal transfer application process happens in two rounds. This year, Round 1 runs from May 1 through May 16, 2025. Round 1 capacity rates are projected using official school capacities and K-8 planning rosters as of the last week in April each year. These planning rosters provide a picture of which schools students are expected to attend during the next school year and include the results of school lotteries that are already complete. Although some students are likely to move over the summer between attendance areas or districts, during May these planning rosters are the best possible estimate of the next year’s enrollment for this purpose.

This year, Round 2 runs from May 16 at 4pm through August 15 at 6 pm.The process is largely the same as Round 1, where schools at or above 95% of capacity are not eligible to receive applications for new internal transfers.The list of schools at or above this cap is updated based on results from Round 1 approvals.Instead of K-8 planning rosters, Round 2 will rely on the most current student counts available through enrollment week.

Schools with projected capacity at or above 95% are not an option for new internal transfer requests for the 2025-26 school year. Because high school capacities are impacted more by scheduling than space, they typically do not have capacity issues like K-8 schools and are excluded from this exercise.

Once applications are submitted for schools with capacity rates less than 95%, Enrollment Office staff works with the Associate Superintendent of School Operations to review each request.The following are factors used in determining space at schools:

• Building capacity rates;
• Student counts at specific grade levels and in specific sections;
• Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) classes are limited to 18 students in Grades K-3 in 20 elementary schools;
• Space in specific programs such as Special Education or English Language Learners; and
• First, second, and third location preferences expressed in the applications.

For Round 1, applications are reviewed using these factors after May 16. Applicants are notified whether their application has been approved or put on a wait list for consideration during Round 2 on or before July 1. For Round 2, applications are reviewed after August enrollment using the same factors using current data. Applicants are notified whether their internal transfer request is approved or denied on the Thursday before the first day of school.