Pursuant to Vermont State Board of Education Rules 2223.2 and 2229, and related Vermont statutory and rule-based requirements, The Riverside School (hereinafter referred to as “the School”), an independent school approved for public tuition, operates under the following nondiscrimination, application, and enrollment policies. The Application Process and decisions regarding student enrollment are guided by the policies and procedures described below. 

The nondiscrimination policy applies to all prospective and current staff, and all prospective and current students, regardless of how a student's tuition is funded. 

The application and enrollment policies and associated enrollment procedures only apply to publicly funded tuition students (i.e. students who reside in a non-operating Vermont school district that pays tuition for its resident students).  The “Application Policy and Process for Publicly Funded Tuition Students”, “Procedures for Offering Enrollment for Publicly Funded Tuition Students”, and “Enrollment Process & Policy for Publicly Funded Students” described below only apply to publicly funded students.  The School maintains separate application and enrollment policies and procedures for students who are privately placed without funding from their local school district. 

Nondiscrimination Policy

1. Nondiscrimination Statement. No student shall be unlawfully excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity as the result of, or based upon, the student’s race, gender, color, creed, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, or any other reason set forth in state or federal law. 
2. The School complies with all requirements of the Vermont Public Accommodations Act (9 V.S.A. Chapter 139), and with all requirements of the Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act (21 V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 6) in all aspects of its recruitment, application, enrollment, operation, and employment activities.
3. The School shall maintain and follow policies that implement this nondiscrimination statement. The School shall distribute such policies to students and families of prospective students, enrolled students, and on request, members of the student’s IEP team.

Application Policy and Process for Publicly Funded Tuition Students

1. An application for admission to the School shall include information about the student’s academic, athletic, and extracurricular interests and shall be submitted voluntarily by the student or their parent/guardian.
2. The School may request additional information about the student’s academic, athletic, or extracurricular history, which shall not include any information that would reveal the need for a 504 accommodation or special education services.
3. The School requires all prospective families to visit the school and meet with faculty and staff during the application process.
4. The School may request information from the prospective student’s prior teachers; such request shall not include any information about the student’s educational needs.
5. The School will not request any information about the student’s actual or suspected disabilities, prior testing for or diagnosis of a physical, emotional, mental, or cognitive  condition, or participation in or receipt of special education services as part of the application process, but may request such information only after offering an invitation to the student to enroll. 
6. Any student interested in applying for enrollment in the School, or their family member or member of their educational support team, shall be provided with a copy of this and any other policy that implements its nondiscrimination statement. 
7. Any student interested in applying for enrollment in the School, or their family member or member of their educational support team, shall be provided with the School’s application package and offered any assistance or reasonable accommodation needed to complete and submit the application, including translation or interpretation services. 

Procedures for Offering Enrollment for Publicly Funded Tuition Students

1. The School manages grade level and program capacity limits based on estimates of returning students, anticipated staffing, as well as facility and program requirements and constraints.  Before extending an offer to enroll, the School will first determine if there is available capacity at the student’s grade level. Second, it will determine if there is available capacity in the academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs that are aligned to the interests indicated by the student in their application. 
2. When the number of applicants exceeds available capacity (either at the grade level or within specific academic, athletic, or extracurricular programs), priority will first be given to applicants with family members who are currently enrolled or were previously enrolled in the School, as well as students of faculty and staff, then to applicants for grades with smaller enrollments or applicants who help the school maintain a diverse student body, and finally to applicants in the order in which the School received their applications during the current admissions cycle.
3. Under no circumstances shall a student be denied acceptance for enrollment because of a disability, because they are eligible for special education services or because they are undergoing the comprehensive evaluation process for special education. 

Enrollment Process & Policy for Publicly Funded Students

1. If the student is offered enrollment, the School will send the parent or guardian an invitation to enroll the student, which will include a request for additional information about the student, including academic and disciplinary history, and information about actual or suspected disabilities and/or special education needs.
2. Upon a student’s acceptance for enrollment, if the student requires accommodations or special education services and resides in a school district that does not operate a public school for the student’s grade level, the student shall be provisionally enrolled and the School will contact the student’s Local Education Authority (LEA) and request that a meeting be convened to determine how the student’s services shall be provided, pursuant to and consistent with Vermont State Board of Education Rule 2229.4. 
3. The LEA shall be responsible for the administration of the individualized education program (IEP) of a publicly funded student enrolled at the School, and the IEP team shall determine how the student will be provided a free and appropriate public education.  Any required accommodations and services must be documented in a written agreement pursuant to Vermont State Board of Education Rule 2231, and shall be governed by the procedures in Rule 2229.4.
4. Prior to enrollment, the student’s parent or guardian must enter into a written contract with the School and shall accept financial responsibility for any tuition, fees, or other costs not paid by the student's LEA or school district.
5. Nothing in this policy shall restrict the School from creating and preserving a safe and healthy environment for the entire School community and its members. The School may decline to enroll or may expel a student who is currently in a period of expulsion under 16 VSA §1163, or presents a threat to themselves or others, consistent with the School’s disciplinary policy.