Out of Zone Enrolments

Section 11F gives clear instructions for the selection of students who apply for enrolment from outside the school’s home zone.

Section 11F(1) sets out five priority categories which must govern selection.  The Ministry has no authority to allow boards to increase the number of priority categories.  Nor does the Ministry have authority to allow boards to delete any of the priority categories.

If there are more applicants in the second, third, fourth or fifth priority groups than there are places available, selection within the priority group must be by ballot.  As provided for under Section 11G(1), the Secretary has issued instructions concerning matters connected with balloting.  A copy of these instructions is provided separately.

The only other means by which out of zone students may be enrolled are:

• following a direction by the Secretary under Sections 11P,16,17D or 18A;
• if the principal agrees to accept a student excluded or expelled from another school and the Secretary endorses the proposal.

Scholarships

Some schools offer scholarships to out of zone students.  A scholarship, however, does not create an entitlement to enrol, and scholarship students are not provided for in the priority groupings relating to out of zone students.  The award of scholarships, therefore, should be held over until the balloting process has been completed.  Schools must not describe a scholarship as an “entrance scholarship”.

Siblings

The enrolment of siblings of current and former students is provided for in the second and third priority groups of out of zone students.  (Siblings who live within the home zone, of course, have an absolute right of enrolment.)  The onus is on parents to provide proof of a sibling relationship, which is defined in Section 11F(3) as follows:

For the purposes of this section, child A is the sibling of child B if –

(a) both children share a common parent; or

(b) a parent of child A is married to a parent of child B; or

(c) a parent of child A was married to a parent of child B at the time when child B’s parent died; or

(d) a parent of child A is living in a relationship in the nature of marriage with a parent of child B; or

(e) both children live in the same household and, in recognition of family obligations, are treated by the adults of that household as if they were siblings; or

(f) the Secretary, by written notice to the school, advises that child A is to be treated as the sibling of child B.

Note that no priority is given to the sons and daughters of former students or to students with some other family connection with the school (other than being the child of a board employee).