TINSLEY VOLUNTARY TRANSFER PROGRAM

The Tinsley Transfer Program brings students from Ravenswood School District to Menlo Park City School District. The program was created in 1986 as part of a Settlement Order in San Mateo County Court in response to a petition filed by Margaret Tinsley and other parents of the Ravenswood School District.

The program aims to:

• Reduce the racial isolation of students of color in the Palo Alto, Ravenswood, and other San Mateo County School Districts (Menlo Park, Las Lomitas, Portola Valley, Woodside, San Carlos and Belmont-Redwood Shores)
• Improve educational achievement of Ravenswood students
• Enhance inter-district cooperation

Each year, 24 students from Ravenswood School District are assigned to kindergarten, first, or second grade classrooms in MPCSD. Once granted, the transfers are permanent and students may remain in their new districts until they graduate, provided they do not move out of their attendance area. Terms of the settlement specify that only new students entering kindergarten, first, or second grade are eligible to enter the program. If Tinsley students transfer out of our District, MPCSD may be assigned more students each year to fill those slots.  Students assigned to replace students who have transferred out are still only assigned to K-2 (not the grade level from which the previous student matriculated).

The San Mateo County Office of Education administers the Tinsley application process. Currently there are about 170 Tinsley students from kindergarten through 8th grade enrolled in our District. As MPCSD students, they receive full District services and are provided bus transportation to and from school.

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Parent Involvement

All Tinsley Parents are encouraged to be actively invloved at the school site level in either the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO) or The Foundation (MPAEF).

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Eligibility

Students of Color living in the Ravenswood City School District entering kindergarten, first, or second grade.
 

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Applying to the Voluntary Transfer Program
Students are chosen by lottery.  Applications are accepted every year from September 15 - November 15 by:

Sylvia Key , Tinsley Transfer Administrator
San Mateo County Office of Education
101 Twin Dolphin Drive
Redwood City, CA 94065-1064
E-mail: skey@smcoe.k12.ca.us

Applications must be postmarked or received in the San Mateo County Office of Education by November 15.

Late applications are accepted until January 31, and transfers will be offered on a space-available basis from a waiting list. (Exception: students who move into the area after December 2 have 60 days from their date-of-arrival to apply.)

DO NOT SUMBIT your application to Menlo Park City School District.

Applicants are notified of results after December 15 by the San Mateo County Office of Education.

For further details, call Dr. Sylvia Key at (650) 802-5314. Applicants wishing to speak in Spanish to a staff member should call Elvira Tapia at (650) 802-5312.