Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Interdistrict Transfer topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monterey County Board of Education allows interdistrict transfer after parent's appeal
Summary
The Monterey County Board of Education voted to permit student 252604 to transfer from Salinas City Elementary School District to Alisal Union School District after hearing the parent's plea about childcare challenges and the district's fiscal and policy concerns.
The Monterey County Board of Education voted to allow a student identified in the appeal as 252604 to attend the Alisal Union School District for the 2025–26 school year after an appeal of Salinas City Elementary School District’s denial.
At the hearing the student’s parent described childcare and scheduling hardships that left the younger child out of school for two weeks. The parent said having siblings attend the same school would reduce missed work and resolve babysitting constraints. "My, my son is not attending school," the parent said while explaining the family’s difficulties. County Superintendent Dr. Gus explained the board’s authority under the California Education Code and county policy to decide interdistrict attendance appeals.
Representing Salinas City Elementary School District, Estelania Hernandez, executive director of People Services, urged the board to uphold the district’s denial. Hernandez said the family’s reasons — chiefly after-school childcare convenience and keeping siblings together — do not meet the statutory hardship thresholds set out in Education Code and board policy. She added that approving transfers on a convenience basis would set a precedent that could "create precedent for bypassing ETCO requirements," and would undermine site-level planning and resource allocation. The district provided data showing about 468 interdistrict transfers out in 2024–25 (down from 529 the prior year), roughly 5.6% of average daily attendance, which the district said exceeds a typical 3% annual guideline and approaches a 10% cumulative limit.
After board members asked staff about agreement renewals and the district’s five-year practice for some transfers, a trustee moved that student 252604 be allowed to attend Alisal Union School District for 2025–26. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the chair announced the motion passed and informed the parent that the student would be allowed to attend the requested district. Following the vote a trustee expressed sympathy for the family’s scheduling burdens and urged staff and board to consider how to handle similar situations going forward.
The board listed no additional actions on the item; next board meeting was noted as Sept. 10, 2025.
