Lafayette School District Admits Allen Bill Transfers
By Jean Follmer
After much discussion in many Board meetings, the Lafayette School District decided at its Aug. 19 meeting to admit 15 Allen Bill transfer students throughout schools in the District this fall, said Lafayette School District Superintendent Fred Brill, Ed.D.
Facing a declining enrollment for this school year, the District was able to avoid reduced revenues from the potential shortfall by admitting the Allen Bill students. Allen Bill transfers enable non-resident students to attend school in the district where their parent works, in lieu of their place of residence.
Since the portion of state revenue tied to Average Daily Attendance (ADA) is based on enrollment in the prior year, a declining enrollment for 2009/10 would have resulted in a loss of $75,000 in state revenue for 2010/11. At $5,000 per student, the admission of the Allen Bill students preserved this amount for the 2010/11 school year.
"It's phenomenal, it's just phenomenal," Brill said. "I'm really delighted by that."
Brill said the new transfer students are children of "Acalanes employees, (Lafayette) District employees, (Lafayette) City workers and local merchants." The students are dispersed throughout the grade levels: three in kindergarten, three in first grade, two in second grade, two in fifth grade, four in sixth grade and one in seventh grade.
After admission to a district under the Allen Bill, a student has the right to attend school in that district as long as the parent maintains employment within the district community for a minimum of 35 hours per week. Employment is verified annually.
The District also received 13 interdistrict transfer requests from students that were not employment related, but due to lack of classroom space the District was unable to accommodate those requests and those applications were denied.
Facing a declining enrollment for this school year, the District was able to avoid reduced revenues from the potential shortfall by admitting the Allen Bill students. Allen Bill transfers enable non-resident students to attend school in the district where their parent works, in lieu of their place of residence. 
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA