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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 access on its website to, and in writing upon request, information on its interdistrict enrollment policies for nonresident students as well as access to information outlining enrollment options for parents/guardians as prepared annually by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction ("OSPI"). Please link to OSPI "Learning by Choice" here.

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

  1. The appropriate interdistrict transfer application (Choice Transfer Request) obtained from their resident school district. The completed form should be submitted to the child's home district or through OSPI'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 3141F1. 
  3. A completed Employment Verification or Change in Status form, Form 3141F2, if applicable.
  4. 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 of application.)

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

Failure to submit a Choice Transfer Request to the child's home district and to present a complete application (i.e., Form 3141F1 and Form 3141F2 and/or a copy of the student’s records, if required) to the District, or any material misrepresentation of facts by the applicants regarding application information shall be grounds for denying the admission request.

2023-24 School Year: District is closed to new nonresident student enrollment except for new nonresident enrollment as outlined in the Interlocal Agreement Regarding Nonresident Enrollment of City of Mercer Island Employee's Children or Dependents and in Board Policy 3141.

Pursuant to Board approval of the Interlocal Agreement Regarding Nonresident Enrollment of City of Mercer Island Employee's Children or Dependents on June 8, 2023, and subsequent Board approval of policy revisions to Board Policy 3141, Enrollment-Nonresident Students on August 10, 2023, Superintendent Rundle has determined that the District will accept applications for nonresident enrollment from students who are the children/dependents of eligible City of Mercer Island employees for the 2023-2024 school year. In prior years, the District has accepted applications from the children of Mercer Island Youth and Family Services employees as contracted service providers and as outlined in board policy. Consistent with this provision, the District will extend nonresident enrollment opportunities to the children of eligible City of Mercer Island employees beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year.

The District will remain closed to all other new nonresident student enrollment.

Based on current and projected enrollment, Superintendent Rundle has determined further that additional, discretionary enrollment of nonresident students beyond the District's anticipated student enrollment would result in the District experiencing a financial hardship. Such financial hardship is due to the District's shrinking enrollment and potential reductions in facility capacity resulting from current budget constraints. The District will be reviewing its facility needs and may consider further nonresident enrollment opportunities in school year 2024-2025, either generally or specific grade-level possibilities.

Notwithstanding this decision, all applications for nonresident attendance will be considered equally on a fair, rational, and equitable basis as outlined in policy and pursuant to RCW 28A.225.225 and WAC 392-137-205(1).