Do students have a right to attend a specific school if they live in that schools “walk zone”?
Walk zones are determined by attendance areas, not the other way around. Attendance areas determine where students are assigned to attend schools. Once those attendance areas are determined for a particular school, then students assigned to that school who live within a certain distance (one mile of a secondary school or 3/4 mile of an elementary school) are not entitled to District transportation unless they meet certain exceptions such as hazardous walking conditions. This is what is being referred to as that school’s “walk zone.” There is no requirement that a student be assigned to a school because they live within that school’s walk zone. The proposed zone around Lower Merion High School in Plan 3 is a proposed “choice” attendance area. If students residing in that area choose to attend Lower Merion High School, they will not be provided transportation unless they meet a Board-established exception. If those students choose to attend Harriton High School, they will be provided tra
