Open Transfer and Choice Schools & Programs Information for Eligible Employees
Welcome to the Bellevue School District, if you are already an employee of the Bellevue School District – we appreciate your time and dedication that you give to our students.
Entitlements
Resident Employees who work at a school:
Your student is guaranteed to enroll at the school and feeder pattern where you are employed.
Or as a resident student at their attendance area school or apply to a different attendance area school & all choice schools and programs.
Nonresident Employees who work at a school:
Your student is guaranteed to enroll at the school and feeder pattern where you are employed.
Or as a student of an eligible employee apply to a different attendance area school & all choice schools and programs.
Students of nonresident employees are considered as resident students in the Open Transfer & Choice Schools/Programs application process. Sibling priority will apply.
Employees who do not work at a school:
Your student is guaranteed to enroll in the District, as a student of an eligible employee may apply to an attendance area school & all choice schools and programs.
You may submit an Open Transfer application for the school you are interested in. Student Placement will make every effort to support your request. If the school you request is not available they will work with you to find a spot.
Eligibility
Eligible Bellevue School District employees are defined as:
- classified employees who work 16 hours per week or more for a minimum of 180 days
- certificated employees who work 0.4 FTE or greater
Nonresident students of eligible BSD employees are considered as resident students for Open Transfer and Choice School/Program applications. Please indicate if you are an eligible BSD employee when submitting your applications. Student Placement will verify employment status with Human Resources.
Eligible Employee Status:
To qualify your student for employee status, you must be an eligible employee for your student to be accepted for enrollment and be employed by the District when your student’s enrollment begins. Once enrolled with eligible employee status, your student may continue in the feeder pattern of the school all the way to graduation, even if you are no longer employed by the District. Employee status will be revoked if your student withdraws or is withdrawn from the District or does not remain in good standing.
New Students
If you want to enroll a new student in grades K – 12 in the Bellevue School District for the upcoming school year, you will need to submit an Open Transfer application requesting enrollment at your preferred school; unless you are BSD residents and you’re planning to enroll at your attendance area school.
Current Students
Current BSD students who wish to attend a different school need to submit an Open Transfer application for the desired attendance area school.
If attending a school on an approved transfer Student Placement will reach out to you regarding your new feeder pattern according to your transfer school. Please follow the instructions in that email if you wish to change where your student will be attending next year.
Current BSD nonresident students enrolled in an attendance area school who are changing school levels and are in good standing will continue in the approved transfer school’s feeder pattern, UNLESS you are unhappy with the feeder pattern that Student Placement communicates with you. Then you will need to submit an Open Transfer application for the desired new attendance area school. If you do not want to change your feeder pattern, there is nothing you need to do.
Current BSD students will NOT submit an Open Transfer and/or Choice School application if
- they are moving up levels in a language program (i.e. Spanish Immersion, Dual Language Mandarin/Spanish, Arabic Bilingual Program).
- you are BSD residents and your student is continuing in your feeder pattern.
- they are at a school through a transfer (resident or nonresident) and you accept the feeder pattern that Student Placement communicates with you. Please follow the instructions in the email verifying your feeder pattern.
- your student is currently receiving Self-Contained Advanced Learning Services or services in Special Education center-based programs. Appropriate school placement for students in centered programs is determined by the department providing the services.
- your resident student has an approved transfer (Open Transfer, Request to Remain or Transfer Request) to attend their desired school and is advancing a grade level at the same school. These students will automatically roll up to the next grade if they have an approved transfer.
- your nonresident student has an approved interdistrict transfer and is advancing a grade level at the same school. You will have to submit the Choice Transfer Request for the new school year WHEN Student Placement asks you to submit – please do not submit before then.
Open Transfer
If you want to enroll a new student in grades K – 12 in the Bellevue School District for the upcoming school year, you will need to submit an Open Transfer application requesting enrollment at your preferred school; unless you are BSD residents and you’re planning to enroll at your attendance area school.
Open Transfer Schools
Applicants may apply for only one neighborhood (attendance area) school:
- Elementary: Ardmore, Bennett, Cherry Crest, Clyde Hill, Enatai, Lake Hills, Medina, Newport Heights, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Somerset, Spiritridge, Stevenson, Woodridge
- Middle: Chinook, Highland, Odle, Tillicum, Tyee
- High: Bellevue, Interlake, Newport, Sammamish
Eligible Employees Who Work at a School must use the Open Transfer process
- Your student is guaranteed to enroll at the school or in the feeder pattern where you are employed, this applies to both resident and nonresident eligible employees.
- If your student is not currently enrolled at a Bellevue School District school you need to submit an Open Transfer application for the school you want, even if you are requesting the school where you work (unless as a resident you want your student to enroll in your assigned attendance area school).
Employees who do not work at a school must use the Open Transfer process
- Your student is guaranteed a space at a school in the District. Student Placement will work with you to find a spot if the school you request is not available. Please submit one Open Transfer application for the one school you are interested in.
Employees who want to request a different school for their current student must use the Open Transfer process
Eligible employees (resident and nonresident) who have a student currently enrolled in the District and want to request enrollment at a different BSD school will need to submit an Open Transfer Application (unless as a resident you want your student to enroll in your assigned attendance area school).
Choice Schools/Program
Employees’ students may apply to all applicable Choice Schools/Programs.
Students of all eligible employees (resident and nonresident) interested in Choice Schools/Programs submit the Choice Schools/Program Applications as listed below. Your student(s) will be on an equal basis with resident applicants. You must submit an application even if you are employed at the school you are applying for and your student has priority.
All siblings MUST apply or the sibling will not be considered for enrollment for the upcoming school year. If an application is not received you may submit a waitlist application to be eligible with sibling priority for the next school year.
The Choice Schools/Programs application period is for entry level kindergarten & 6th grade students:
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Kindergarten – Jing Mei, Puesta del Sol & Spanish DL Program, Arabic Bilingual Program, Hindi Bilingual Program & Korean Bilingual Program for additional information click here
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Arabic Bilingual program may apply for 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade – via the waitlist
| 24-25 Grade | How to apply | Available Choice Schools or Programs |
| Kindergarten | Use the 24-25 Kindergarten Choice Schools/Program Application to submit one application where you can apply to each school/program you are interested in. | Jing Mei Elementary |
| Puesta del Sol Elementary | ||
| Spanish Dual Language program (at Lake Hills, Sherwood Forest or Stevenson) | ||
| Arabic Bilingual Program at Ardmore | ||
| Hindi Bilingual Program at Ardmore | ||
| Korean Bilingual Program at Newport Heights | ||
| Grades 1, 2 & 3 | Use the Arabic Bilingual Program waitlist application | Arabic Bilingual Program |
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6th grade students may apply to both International School and/or Big Picture School
| 24-25 Grade | How to apply | Available Choice Schools or Programs |
| 6th grade | Use the International School application | International School |
| 6th Grade | Use the Big Picture School application | Big Picture School |
Non-Entry Grade Level Students may apply
If your student is in a different grade and would like to join the waitlist, it will be available beginning January 24, 2024;
please use the following link:
https://bsd405.org/departments/student-placement/apply-choice-schools-programs/
Open Transfer or Choice Schools/Program Approval
After your student has been admitted to a school or program, you are required to complete the enrollment process you will be asked to upload your documents as part of the enrollment process.
Resident employees are required to establish residency for their student
Resident employees will be required to submit the following residency documents during the enrollment process:
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- A copy of your current PSE bill and 1 of the following as it applies:
- Renters: a fully signed (signed by you and the property owner), current lease agreement
- Homeowners: a copy of your homeowner’s insurance policy declaration page
- A copy of your current PSE bill and 1 of the following as it applies:
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Nonresident employees are required to submit nonresident paperwork for their student each year
Nonresident employees will be required to submit nonresident paperwork as requested by Student Placement.
- New students will need to submit both:
- An Open Transfer and/or Choice School/Program application and when approved:
- A Choice Transfer Request to their resident school district as part of the enrollment process.
- Students continuing at the same school or in the approved feeder pattern are required to submit a Choice Transfer Request to their resident school district each year.
Thank you in advance for your quick turnaround submitting the nonresident paperwork when requested!