Local siblings may no longer necessarily attend high school together beginning in the fall, according to one of the changes to the Hanford Joint Union High School District's intra-district transfer policy.

The district's trustees set new attendance boundaries on Nov. 25 for Sierra Pacific High School's opening in the fall. But as several local parents had asked the possibility for intra-district tranfers, trustees and Superintendent Bill Fishbough saw the need to revisit and revise the district intra-district transfer policy. Policy changes are expected to be approved by trustees at their meeting on Tuesday.

The newly-set attendance boundaries will mark no change to existing Hanford High boundaries, except that students in the portion of Kings River-Hardwick Elementary School District west of 12th Avenue will attend Sierra Pacific instead of Hanford High. But a portion of Hanford Elementary School District from 12th Avenue east to the existing Hanford High boundary and part of Pioneer school district bounded by Flint Avenue, Fargo Avenue, 10th Avenue and the railroad would be included in the Hanford West boundary. Students in the Armona school district, and the portion of Hanford Elementary School District west of 12th Avenue, and Pioneer -- except the portion already mentioned -- will feed into Sierra Pacific.

District officials asked for community input in making the decision for boundaries. Instead of specifying an option, most people who provided feedback to the district had questions about intra-district transfer criteria and about whether equal programs would be offered at Sierra Pacific High School.

Now, and when Sierra Pacific opens, students are required to attend the school in the boundaries of their residence, unless they meet specified intra-district transfer criteria.

Fishbough said Friday that incoming freshmen have begun to register for the fall at Hanford High, Hanford West and Sierra Pacific. People also have begun to visit the district office and request transfer forms, but that is not uncommon for this time of year, Fishbough said.

People who do request transfers will be subject to the new guidelines outlined in the board policy and administrative regulations set to be approved on Tuesday.

The new policy language dictates that "siblings are no longer a criteria" for transfers to be granted to incoming freshmen, Fishbough said. Future approved transfer requests will be based around a student's special needs or interest in a non-duplicated academic program. The only expected non-duplicated academic program next year will be Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, which will only be offered at the Hanford West campus.

"Ag will have a presence on all campuses next year," Fishbough said.

Among incoming freshmen, any student who has demonstrated an interest in the military or a related field will be given first consideration for enrollment in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Program. Should approval be granted, a minimum two-year commitment is required, according to the anticipated new regulation.

If approved, students who submit applications to the district by March 30 will be eligible to be considered for a transfer. These students will be ineligible to participate in any prior sport for 12 months from the first date of attendance at the new school. However, all incoming freshman students are eligible at their first high school of attendance.

According to the anticipated new administrative regulation, incoming freshmen may request to attend a school outside of their attendance area if they have a special need or hardship. But a sibling already attending another school and a parent employed by the school district are no longer criteria for transfers for incoming freshmen.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(Jan. 12, 2009)