Kentucky Public School Transfers
Kentucky’s public school transfer policy allows families to enroll their child in a different school district if space is available. It is also referred to as the Non-resident Student Policy.
What It Is: The state supports both intra-district and inter-district transfers. Families may apply to attend schools outside their home district, though placement depends on space and local policies.
Legal Framework: House Bill 563 (2021) requires all school districts to adopt nonresident pupil policies that permit enrollment of students from outside the district, subject to capacity limits. Funding follows the student to the enrolling district through the SEEK (Support Education Excellence in Kentucky) formula.
Current Participation:
- Approximately 5% of Kentucky students currently attend public schools outside their assigned district
- Following HB 563’s passage, nonresident transfers increased roughly 10%
How It Works:
- Districts may recognize enrollment capacity as determined by individual school availability
- Applications and approval windows vary by district
- Contact your district’s school choice office for specific deadlines and procedures
- Approval is capacity-dependent; not all requests are granted
Tuition: $0. Free; SEEK funding follows the student from home district to receiving district under Kentucky’s Public School Transfer Policy
Application Timing: Varies by district; typically windows open in May and close in March for the following school year. Earlier application may not increase chances if all applications treated equally.
Important Limitations:
- Kentucky has one of the nation’s weakest public school transfer policies
- Most districts restrict transfers to specific timeframes
- Families cannot automatically attend any public school of their choice statewide
- Athletics restriction: Transfers made mid-year may not be eligible for interscholastic athletics participation for one calendar year
- Approval not guaranteed – depends on receiving district capacity and policies
Transportation: Policies vary by district; families are often responsible for transportation to out-of-district schools
Kentucky Department of Education – Nonresident Student Policy →