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Admission Requirements

San Jacinto Unified School District
Criteria and Process for Referral to Alternative Education Programs

Referrals for All Students to Mountain Heights Academy

  • Alternative Education placement referrals are only used for students who are currently enrolled in San Jacinto High School.
  • Students new to the district (who live in SJUSD with address verification) must enroll at San Jacinto High School with the exception of students who were enrolled in an Alternative Education program in their previous district. If Alternative Education enrollment from the previous district is verified by documentation (and the student lives in SJUSD with address verification), the student will be able to enroll in an Alternative Education program.
  • Alternative Education referrals require an Independent Study Contract.
  • A referral is a request for placement. Students will not be dropped from San Jacinto High School until enrolled at Mountain Heights Academy.
  • Alternative Education referrals are based on the individual needs of students based on their circumstances. 
  • Identify the applicable interventions that were implemented at San Jacinto High School prior to the referral.
  • Students with disabilities must have a change of placement IEP meeting with the parent, student, and staff from the school of attendance and Mountain Heights Academy before a referral is completed. Indicate the date of the IEP meeting on the referral form.
  • Families who are interested in having their child attend the Independent Study Program (ISP) at Mountain Heights Academy must complete this request form. School counselors and administrators will review requests once a week and families will be contacted if their student has been approved or denied for the program.

Students with Disabilities (IEP)

  • Change of Placement IEP meeting must include parent, staff from MHA, and school of attendance, and must be held before placement is made. Attach the Change of Placement IEP to the referral.
  • The IEP team must agree and be able to defend an offer of FAPE to an Alternative Education program as an appropriate placement where the student can make educational progress.
  • Students new to the district must enroll at San Jacinto High School unless the current IEP reflects a placement at an alternative education school from another district. If alternative education placement is verified by documentation, the student will be able to enroll in an alternative educational program. Forward information to the District Special Education Department for the interim placement process.