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Residency Requirements For MISD

Establishing and Verifying Residency

State law requires that a student reside within the district boundaries to be eligible for enrollment, or have been approved for an inter-district transfer. Residency is the physical location where the student resides. For families with shared custody (i.e. divorced, separated) this is generally defined as the location where a student spends a minimum of four nights a week. A student must live within the Mercer Island District attendance boundaries and establish residency to be eligible for enrollment.

All families are required to establish Mercer Island residency prior to student enrollment. For detailed information about enrollment, please read Board Policy 3120.

Residents will need to present new proofs of residency to a school registrar if they move to a different location on the island. For detailed information about establishing residency, including the necessary documents, please read the information in Board Policy form 3120 F1.

Nonresident student enrollment follows Policy 3141 Enrollment Nonresident Students.

The superintendent or designee will determine no later than April 15th, annually, if the District is open to new nonresident student enrollment.

All applications for nonresident attendance will be considered equally on a fair, rational, and equitable basis pursuant to Board Policy 3141, RCW 28A.225.225 and WAC 392-137-205(1). The District shall provide information on its inter-district enrollment policies to nonresidents on its web site and in writing upon request, and have copies of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's annual information booklet on enrollment options in the state available for public inspection at each school building, the central office, and local public libraries.

A parent/guardian shall apply for admission on behalf of their child by presenting:

  1. The appropriate inter-district transfer application (Choice Transfer Request) obtained from their resident school district. The completed form should be submitted to the child's home district or via the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Washington State Choice Transfer Request Portal. (https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/choicetransferrequest)
  2. A completed Mercer Island School District Application for Nonresident Attendance, Form 3141 F. 
  3. A copy of the complete student records file from the child's home district. (Not required for renewal applications where the child is enrolled in the District at the time the application is submitted.)

Applications must be filed or updated annually and transfer requests shall not be granted for longer than one academic year or portion thereof.

Failure to submit a Choice Transfer Request executed by the child's resident school district, a complete Form 3141 F, and a complete copy of the student’s records, or any material misrepresentation of facts by the applicants regarding application information shall be grounds for denying the admission request.

2022-23 School Year: District is closed to new non-resident student enrollment

March 10, 2022 – Pursuant to Board Policy 3141, Enrollment-Nonresident Students, and based on current and projected enrollment, Superintendent Colosky has determined that the District is not open to new nonresident student enrollment for the 2022-23 school year. The Superintendent has also considered that additional, discretionary enrollment of new nonresident students beyond this anticipated student enrollment will create a financial or programmatic hardship in light of available resources for the District.

However, to avoid disruption to the educational programs of certain students and to encourage family involvement and support in the education of those children, the District does allow certain nonresident students to apply for nonresident status. Please refer to Board Policy 3141 for the circumstances under which the District accepts certain nonresident students’ applications. As provided for in state law, children of District employees, children of its contracted services employees and children of military families are allowed to attend as nonresident students and must submit the appropriate application.

All applications for nonresident attendance will be considered equally on a fair, rational, and equitable basis pursuant to Board Policy 3141, RCW 28A.225.225 and WAC 392-137-205(1).