Policy 5111

Admission

Full-time and Part-time Enrollment

Reviewed and affirmed by the Board:  2025-06-24
Last Revision: 2025-06-24
Original publish date: 2010-05-25
Related policies & regulations:  
Legal references:  Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-2, 136 and Sec. 79-526; LB705, § 75, Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 10

 

Full-time Enrollment

Students must be enrolled in Lincoln Public Schools on a full-time basis. Full-time basis is defined as attending classes for the full instructional day within the public school system.
Exceptions are permitted only for:

1. enrolled students attending another state-accredited institution such as a vocational- technical school or a college or university for school credit;
2. enrolled students taking the limited number of credits needed to graduate in the school year;
3. enrolled students in need of modified school attendance as an accommodation for a disability or similar unique circumstance;
4. enrolled students receiving special education services where the student’s IEP requires a modified schedule, or non-enrolled students receiving special education services or other legally-mandated services required to be provided to eligible resident children under state and federal laws and regulations;
5. students from other school districts participating in programs offered by the District pursuant to an interlocal agreement or other arrangement approved by the Lincoln Board of Education; and
6. nonpublic school students in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in this policy.

Part-time Enrollment of Nonpublic School Students

The Board shall allow the part-time enrollment of students who are residents of the School District and who are also enrolled in a private, denominational or parochial school or in a school which elects, pursuant to section 79-1601, not to meet accreditation or approval requirements.  Such students are referred to herein as “nonpublic school students.”

The Board establishes the following guiding principles for enrollment of nonpublic school students:

1. The primary school for a nonpublic school student is the student’s private, denominational, parochial or home school.
2. Nonpublic school students are not to be given priority over full-time students.
3. Nonpublic school students are to be enrolled only in programs or courses that are educationally appropriate for the student.
4. Enrollment of nonpublic school students is not to negatively affect the educational services to be provided to full-time students.

The Board establishes the following specific policies and procedures for enrollment of nonpublic school students.  In the event the specific policies and procedures require interpretation or do not fully resolve an issue, the above established guiding principles are to be considered.

1. Nonpublic School Student Enrollment Application Procedures.
   1. Application. Parent or guardian must submit an Application of Nonpublic School Student for Part-time Enrollment to the Director of Student Services.
   2. Action on Applications.  The Director of Student Services will consult with the principal of the school the student wishes to attend and will notify the parent of the approval or denial of the application within two weeks of receipt of the application.
   3. Appeals.  In the case of a denial, the parent or guardian may appeal to the Associate Superintendent for Educational Services.  Any such appeal must be submitted to the Associate Superintendent within 14 calendar days from the date of the denial.  The appeal shall be in writing and shall be decided on the basis of the written submission.  The Associate Superintendent may request the parent or guardian to provide further explanation or information and the appeal may be denied in the event the parent or guardian fails to fully respond in a timely basis. The Associate Superintendent shall decide the appeal within 10 calendar days of the submission of the appeal.  The Associate Superintendent may make a decision later than the 10 days in the event good reason for delay exists.  Good reason includes, but is not limited to, the Associate Superintendent being unable to gather the information necessary to make the decision within the decision period.
   4. Annual Applications.  Part-time enrollment is determined annually.  Application must be made each school year.  There will be no guarantee that enrollment will be continued from one year to the next.
2. Nonpublic School Student Admission
   1. Admission Requirements.  Students must meet the normal admission requirements.  This includes the requirements that the student be a resident of the District, be of school attendance age and not have graduated or have received a GED.
   2. Admission Process.  Students must complete the normal enrollment process and forms required by the District and/or the building for enrollment of all children.  This includes the requirements relating to birth certificates, immunizations, physical examinations and visual evaluations.
3. Nonpublic School Student Enrollment Standards
   1. Maximum Enrollment.  Generally, students may not enroll in Lincoln Public Schools classes exceeding a half-day.  A student who is attending an exempt school and who is enrolled on a part-time basis in a District’s middle or high school will be permitted to be continuously enrolled in the minimum number of credits to meet District and NSAA eligibility guidelines for the purpose of participating in NSAA-governed activities.
   2. Capacity Limits.  Enrollment will ordinarily be subject to capacity limits.  Any grade level, program or course which has been determined to be at capacity for option enrollment purposes will not ordinarily be available for nonpublic school students.
   3. Prerequisite Requirements.  Students must meet prerequisite requirements to be enrolled in a course by appropriate credits earned through an accredited program.  The principal may, on a discretionary basis, allow prerequisite requirements to be satisfied where the student provides reasonable indications that the academic criteria have been met, such as results from achievement tests or other indications of adequate preparation.
   4. Educationally Appropriate Programs and Courses.  Students will not be allowed to enroll in programs or courses which the school administration determines to not be educationally appropriate for the student.  Determination of whether a program or course is educationally appropriate will be made based on the standards the District uses for making academic placement decisions.
   5. Selection of Courses. Subject to Paragraphs 1 through 4 of this Paragraph C, and all other applicable provisions of this Policy, nonpublic school students may select their courses.
4. Nonpublic School Student Policies
   1. General Standard.  Nonpublic school students who are enrolled part time are to be subject to the same standards as full-time enrolled students except where appropriate to reflect their part-time status.
   2. Building assignment.  Students must enroll in the attendance center that serves the student’s residence, provided that the administration reserves the authority to make a different attendance center assignment.  A student may request assignment to an attendance center other than that of the student’s residence under the district’s transfer procedures.
   3. No Partial Part-time Enrollment.  Students must apply for enrollment and attend from time of admission through the duration of the semester.  Once enrolled, part-time students will be required to participate in all activities, programs and tests related to the program or course for which the student is enrolled, including, as applicable, State or District-wide assessments, as full-time students.
   4. Student Conduct Policies.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis shall be required to follow all school policies that apply to other students at any time the part-time student is present on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity or athletic event.  This includes the District’s student conduct policies.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis shall be subject to discipline, including suspension or expulsion, for violation of student conduct rules.
   5. Attendance.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis are not exempt from the compulsory attendance laws or from the District’s attendance policies.  Students who engage in excessive absenteeism, as defined in Board policy, are to be reported under the truancy laws.
   6. Presence on School Grounds.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis are to be present on school grounds during the school day only at the times required for their attendance in the program or course in which they are enrolled.  Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the principal or the principal’s designee.  Students must sign in and out of the school by following the building-level procedure.  Students are responsible for being aware of any changes in the school schedule during inclement weather or for other reasons.
   7. Transportation.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis are not entitled to transportation or transportation reimbursement, unless otherwise required by law.  Full-time students will be given first consideration for parking on the high school campus.
   8. Academic Honors.  Students enrolled on a part-time basis will not be eligible to graduate or receive a diploma from the District or receive academic honors (for example, class rank and honor roll) except to the extent the student meets all requirements of the District’s policies for such, including attainment of minimum credits and semesters of attendance.
   9. Extracurricular Activities.  Any student who is a resident of the District and who is enrolled in a school which elects pursuant to section 79-1601 not to meet accreditation or approval requirements may participate in any of the District’s extracurricular activity programs to the same extent and subject to the same requirements, conditions, and procedures as a full-time student in the District. Non-resident students may only be admitted on a part-time basis or permitted to participate in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity when required by law. The District’s Activities Director will coordinate with the student’s parent or guardian to secure assurances of compliance with these expectations. Any student covered by this subsection must enroll in five credit hours through the District in the semester in which the student participates in an extracurricular activity. There shall be no preference given to any student participating in any extracurricular activity based off their status as a full-time or part-time student. Part-time students will be expected to comply with the same or similar expectations as full-time students to participate in any activity, including team rules.
   10. Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) Participation.  Participation in activities that are subject to the bylaws of the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) will be limited to those students who meet the NSAA bylaws.  In the event a student is enrolling in the District after having attended a school which is not accredited or approved, including a  home school, the Office of Student Services shall evaluate the student’s transcript for the preceding semester and determine whether the student successfully completed coursework in such semester that would be the equivalent of credits in the District and, if so, place such credits on the student’s permanent record with the District and count such credits toward the District’s graduation requirements.