Transfer Process

Purpose

The Newton County Schools (NCS) Staff Transfer Procedure is designed to provide employees with a fair and transparent process for requesting a transfer while ensuring that staffing decisions align with district needs. This procedure aims to support employee job satisfaction, retention, and professional growth while maintaining stability within our schools.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a transfer, employees must:

  1. Be classified or certified staff, including administrators, instructional coaches, counselors, and media specialists.
  2. Have completed at least two years at their current school (adjusted from the previous three-year requirement based on staff feedback).
  3. Maintain a record of satisfactory performance for the current school year, with satisfactory evaluations for the past two years.
  4. Hold the appropriate renewable certification for the position they are requesting to transfer into.

Transfer Request Process

  1. Application Submission
    • Employees interested in transferring must complete and submit a transfer request form through the designated online system.
    • Employees may select up to five (previously three) preferred school locations to increase transfer opportunities.
    • Transfer requests must be submitted during the designated transfer window before contracts are issued.
  2. Communication & Acknowledgment
    • Employees will receive a confirmation email upon submission of their transfer request.
    • Principals and administrators will be required to review transfer requests within a specific timeframe to avoid prolonged waiting periods.
  3. Vacancy Transparency
    • A list of available positions will be shared internally with eligible employees before the main district job fair.
    • Transfer requests will be prioritized over external hires to retain qualified staff within the district.
  4. Interviews & Consideration
    • Employees who submit a transfer request are encouraged to contact principals at their preferred schools to express interest.
    • Administrators must interview at least one internal transfer applicant before considering external candidates.
    • Principals must notify applicants of their decision within two weeks of an interview.
  5. Final Approval & Notification
    • Transfer recommendations will be submitted for district approval and included in the personnel report for board consideration and approved.
    • Employees will receive official notification of their transfer status within a reasonable timeframe.

Note:
The transfer process is utilized for lateral moves. The transfer process does not pertain to promotion within the district. A promotion is defined as any change in position that requires additional certification, an additional endorsement, and/or will result in a pay increase. When a change in assignment meets either of these criteria, the employee does not have to be eligible for a transfer to apply for the vacant position. An employee may also transfer, without adhering to the transfer process, at the beginning of a school year during which he/she is offered and accepts a head coaching position. This is contingent upon there being a vacant position for which he/she is fully certified at the school where head coaching responsibilities are being assumed.

In general, no more than ten percent (10%) of an existing school’s staff will be granted voluntary transfers during a given school year. Exceptions to this procedure may be made by the Superintendent with the approval of the Board of Education.

Involuntary Transfers:
If an employee is involuntarily transferred from the school at which they were originally hired, due to system needs after the beginning of a school year, the employee has a one-time option to return to their original school during the transfer period for the upcoming school year. An employee must have a satisfactory evaluation during the year of the involuntary transfer to be eligible for this one-time option to return to their original school.

*The transfer process for non-certificated staff mirrors this process, minus the certification requirements.

Review & Adjustments
This procedure will be reviewed annually to ensure it meets the needs of employees and the district. Feedback from staff and administrators will be incorporated to make continuous improvements.