BUSD school assignments--appealing, transferring, etc.
My wife and I live in Richmond but are considering relocating to somewhere with more walkability and better schools for our son (he's only 2 but if we move we'd like to be settled in somewhere by the time he starts kindergarten). We had been considering Berkeley but just found out about how BUSD school assignment works, and the idea of potentially having to go all the way across town for elementary school is off-putting--I understand that you get assigned within your zone but some of the distances even within a zone can be considerable. My wife doesn't drive so we had really hoped that wherever we end up, we'd be able to get into the closest neighborhood school or somewhere at least walkable. Our plan had been to factor the local school(s) into our home search, but the BUSD system makes that difficult.
So, my questions are:
- How much of a priority is put on assigning kids to the school closest to where they live (or their first choice, wherever that is)?
- If you want to appeal your assignment/transfer (within your zone), how difficult is this process and what are the chances you'll be successful?
I know these things probably all depend on which schools/neighborhoods are being talked about, and change from year to year, so let's say we're looking at the Northwest zone and are hoping to get into Thousand Oaks school. If we were then assigned to, say, Rosa Parks, how realistic would it be to appeal it and get into Thousand Oaks?
Any insight into these issues would be appreciated, as well as any more granular details about which zones or specific schools may be easier/harder to change. Thanks in advance.
Parent Replies
I know you're hoping for a clear answer, but it's all annecdotal. We got into our preferred (closest) school.
But I also know a family who got assigned across town, appealed, and got into their chosen school the second week of the school year. I also know families who didn't get in when they requested a transfer. I also know a family who got assigned across town when they were a block from their preferred school--they couldn't switch. They were livid.
It's best to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Generally, BUSD does not care about parents' requests--even when the parents have very good reasons. I know people who left BUSD bc BUSD didn't care if they were assigned to classes w very disruptive classmates (tables turned over) for multiple yrs on a row, unsupported emotional/learning issues when the kids had no behavioral issues, or to retain (do a grade again mostly bc the kiddo wasn't emotionally/socially prepared--youngest in grade.)
I think the zoning system is outdated and should be redone/dismantled--esp w budget issues and the cost of bussing, but that seems to be a no go. Perhaps if more people try to lead the change and show demographics in Berkeley have changed, something might happen.
If your student is assigned across town, they do provide bussing, and in our experience the kids like the bus. The actual stop location can depend on where you live. Getting your first choice for TK can be really hard, I think K is better, but there are no guarantees. If you're willing to move off a waitlist in the first few weeks of school, that does happen.
Have you looked into Albany or Kensington? Although we really like our Thousand Oaks neighborhood, in some ways I wish we'd looked harder at houses in Albany or Kensington to avoid BUSD's nonsense. Everyone we know in Berkeley manages the school thing fine, even if their kid ends up in a school across town, but I'm jealous of our friends whose kids walk to neighborhood schools with their buddies.
On BUSD transfers, we don't have first hand experience (our oldest will start TK next year), but anecdotally we know families who have successfully transferred and others who went through long appeals processes and were ultimately denied. It sounds like transfers are possible, but you can't count on them and are better served to go into things with the attitude that you'll take what you get and find a way to make it work. Luckily it sounds like all the schools are pretty good.
They do not prioritize putting kids in the closest school - they prioritize mixing the kids up so you are just as likely to get a far school as a near school. And even if you get the close school your kid will have friends who live far - neither of my kids ever had a friend within walking distance and we couldn’t walk to school. Chances of being allowed to transfer to your preferred school are very low - they do not care at all about extenuating circumstances even extreme ones like a parent with cancer so a parent who doesn’t drive isn’t going to sway them. If you can swing it try Albany. BUSD will be very difficult for a non-driver and there is no bussing for middle or high school.
I'm a non-driver in Berkeley--just wanted to point out that getting around by e-bike can also work great. We got into our first choice school, and I'm very happy dropping off there by e-bike (10 min ride). I can get pretty much anywhere I want to go by e-bike and the bike routes are only getting better over time.