Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foreign Exchange Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent recommends keeping foreign-exchange host-family rule limited to district residents
Summary
After public comment and a patron meeting, Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent recommended maintaining Policy FDF, which requires host families for foreign-exchange students to be district residents, citing concerns about limiting resident slots and the ineligibility of foreign-exchange students for state foundation aid.
The superintendent recommended that Jamestown Public Schools keep its policy requiring foreign-exchange host families to be district residents, citing two primary concerns: the district limits the number of exchange slots and exchange students are not eligible for state foundation aid.
At the April 7 meeting Dr. Leck (Superintendent) said he had met privately with the patron who requested a policy change and explained his recommendation. He said the policy’s residential requirement prevents nonresident placements from consuming a limited number of exchange slots that would otherwise be available to resident families. He also said state foundation aid does not apply to foreign-exchange students, so the cost is borne by district taxpayers.
Board members asked several operational questions. A board member asked whether the district typically fills its quota; the superintendent replied that the district “almost always” fills the quota of five exchange students. Another question asked whether a base-to-base or contingent approval process could allow nonresident placements after resident slots are filled; the superintendent replied that such exceptions could become complicated and recommended firm policy deadlines (for example, a July 1 cutoff) if the board wanted a clearer rule. He suggested the board could create an exception form for the superintendent to review on a case-by-case basis if the board wanted flexibility.
Board discussion included suggestions to leave the policy as written given that the five slots usually fill and to revisit the policy if the district later had unfilled slots. One board member asked whether host families or programs could pay tuition to avoid taxpayer burden; the superintendent said he would research whether tuition agreements or statutes would allow charging tuition for foreign-exchange students under Century Code rules.
No formal policy change was made at the meeting; the superintendent’s recommendation to maintain the residency requirement was presented for the board’s consideration and the board signaled a preference to leave the policy unchanged unless future circumstances warrant revisiting it.
