Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Program facts for kids
The Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Program is a special agreement from 1985. It was created after a lawsuit to help students get a good education. This program allows some students from the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, California to attend schools in nearby areas.
The main idea was for surrounding school districts to accept up to 135 minority students. These students would be entering Kindergarten through second grade. The goal was to give them more educational choices.
Several school districts agreed to be part of this program:
- Palo Alto Unified School District: up to 60 students each year
- San Carlos School District: up to 26 students each year
- Menlo Park City School District: up to 24 students each year
- Las Lomitas Elementary School District: up to 12 students each year
- Portola Valley Elementary School District: up to 8 students each year
- Woodside Elementary School District: up to 5 students each year
Two other districts, the Redwood City School District and the Belmont – Redwood Shores School District, were once part of this agreement. They later left the main transfer part of the program. This happened because they now had a higher number of minority students.
There is also a "reverse" part of the program. This allows non-minority students from the listed districts to transfer into the Ravenswood City School District. The Redwood City School District and the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District still participate in this reverse transfer.
Once a student transfers, they can stay in the new school district until they finish high school. This is true as long as they still live within the Ravenswood City School District area. If many students apply for a few spots, a lottery system chooses who gets to transfer.
The San Mateo County Office of Education manages the program. This office helps assign students to districts. Students can also say which district they prefer. The school district then assigns the student to a specific school.
Why Was the Tinsley Program Started?
The Tinsley Program came about after a long court case. It is named after Margaret Tinsley. She was the main person who started the lawsuit, along with 170 other parents and students. Margaret Tinsley is the mother of Valarie Tinsley.
The people who filed the lawsuit believed something important. They said that the quality of education in schools within the Ravenswood City School District was not equal. Ravenswood schools had a high percentage of minority students. The surrounding districts had a lower percentage of minority students. The lawsuit aimed to make education more fair for everyone.
Notable People from the Program
Some students who went through the Tinsley Program have achieved great things.
- Laura Martinez, a graduate of Palo Alto High School in 2002, later became the Mayor of East Palo Alto. She served as mayor in 2012 and 2014.
