Open Arms: HSD Prepares to Welcome New Transfer Students

With schools set to open in approximately one month, Hazelwood School District is grappling with the possible influx of students in the 2013-2014 school year.

The Missouri Supreme Court decision of Breitenfeld v. School District of Clayton has allowed for students in unaccredited school districts such as Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts to transfer into accredited school districts. Hazelwood School District is accredited.

With the decision, both districts worked with other districts through the Cooperating School District of St. Louis to set up procedures and applications for the transfer of students from Riverview Gardens. Last week, Normandy School District announced it would send its interested students to Francis Howell School District in St. Charles.

While many applications from Riverview Gardens will go through the CSD clearinghouse for applications before being sent to the respective schools, Hazelwood School District has it set up where those interested in attending Hazelwood can go through them directly.

Hazelwood Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Julia Burke Thorpe said that the district handles a large volume of student transfers each year with students moving in and out of the district. Therefore, the district is capable of handling the applications of those interested in attending their schools.

Although the unaccredited districts are on the hook for paying tuition and handling transportation to the respective districts, the receiving districts must figure out class sizes and where students can be placed.

Thorpe said for Hazelwood, they will accommodate students where they have space and will continually monitor classroom size and staffing needs throughout the first quarter of the school year. 

Thorpe said that the district already had a waiting list of more than 200 students waiting to know about possible enrollment and that they would be contacted. 

The first day of school is Aug. 12.