WA State Choice Transfer Parent Portal

WHAT IS A "CHOICE TRANSFER"?

The "choice transfer" process is a protocol for allowing students in the state of Washington to attend public school outside of their resident school district boundaries. An agreement is required between the resident and non-resident districts, which must be renewed annually for each student. If you live outside of Ferndale School District and wish to attend school in Ferndale, review the "Non-resident Student Enrollment" section. If you live in Ferndale School District but wish to attend a different public school (either in person or online), review the "Release of Resident Students" section. If you are moving into Ferndale School District and your student(s) will be transferring here from another school, visit our Enrollment web page or contact the school registrar directly for information on that process.

NON-RESIDENT STUDENT ENROLLMENT

A Washington State student who resides outside of the boundaries of Ferndale School District may apply to attend school in Ferndale School District.

• Parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school for their non-resident student(s).
• Requests for non-resident admission are approved for one school year only and must be renewed annually.  Renewal requests for the next school year should be submitted prior to the end of the current school year.

1. Apply for release from your school district of residence through the WA State Choice Transfer Parent Portal.  When you use this portal, your resident school district is notified of your transfer request.
2. If you are unable to access the state’s online portal, please contact Pamela Wasley in the Teaching and Learning Department at pamela.wasley@ferndalesd.org or 360.383.9210.
3. Collect the required documents for your student(s).  Your non-resident transfer request will be considered once all the required documents are submitted to pamela.wasley@ferndalesd.org or by mail to Ferndale School District ▪ Attn:  Pamela Wasley ▪ 6041 Vista Dr ▪ Ferndale WA 98248
   
   ▪  Current attendance and discipline reports from the resident district for the school year
   ▪  Current report card or transcript from the resident district for the school year
   ▪  If a student is receiving special education services, current Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Special Education Addendum (SPA), if applicable.                                                                                                                                                                 

RELEASE OF RESIDENT STUDENTS

A student residing in Ferndale School District may be released to attend school in another district.  There are two options for the student’s parent or guardian to request release from Ferndale School District:

Submit your request online using the WA State Choice Transfer Parent Portal; if you are unable to access the state’s online portal, please contact Pamela Wasley in the Teaching and Learning Department at pamela.wasley@ferndalesd.org or 360.383.9210.

For assistance in this process, contact Ferndale School District’s Choice Coordinator at 360.383.9210 or pamela.wasley@ferndalesd.org.

 

 

In-District Transfer

Ferndale Public Schools has nine schools and a wide selection of special programs to meet the many diverse needs of our families and students. Regardless of which school your child may be assigned based on address, we are confident that strong connections will be made by students, families, and staff within all of our school communities.

If you live in the Ferndale School District and want your child to attend one of our schools other than the school to which your child is assigned based on address, an Internal Transfer form must be filled out and submitted through our online system (link below).

• Parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school for students attending on a transfer.
• Requests are approved for one school year only and must be renewed annually. Renewal requests for the next school year should be submitted before the end of the current school year.
• For new transfer requests, you may be asked to provide additional information if your child has not previously attended in our district.

 TIMELINE AND FORMS FOR NEXT SCHOOL-YEAR

 For students currently attending Ferndale schools on an approved Internal Transfer, we are accepting applications for the next school year school year from April 15th through April 30th.  Any applications received during this time may receive a response as early as May 31.  Kindergarten, sixth, and ninth-grade requests may not know acceptance status until mid to late August.

Any applications received after April 30, will be considered following the review process for our current students, and applicants can expect to receive a response no later than mid-August. Please fill out the Internal Transfer Form through our new link :

 

2025-2026 Transfer request - english

2025-2026 Transfer Request - spanish

If you have questions about this process, please reach out via e-mail to pamela.wasley@ferndalesd.org or by calling 360.383.9210