DURHAM - Parents who want to send their children to a different school from the one to which they're assigned had better have a good reason.

Thursday night, the school board unanimously decided to narrow its school transfer policy, which had long been one of the most liberal in the state.

Until now, any family that wanted to transfer a student simply needed to fill out a form and could transfer to another school, provided there was enough room and the family could provide its own transportation.

Under the new policy, students no longer will be allowed to request a "general transfer," falling under the catchall. Students must show they are seeking an academic program or calendar setup not offered at their assigned school, have a sibling at another school, or have a child-care conflict or other hardship. The new policy also bumps up the timeline for requesting a transfer by one month. The new application period will be from March 1 to May 1.

Board members did not discuss the policy change at the meeting Thursday , as it was their second and final time approving the change.

But in earlier discussions, board members and administrators said they supported the change because it would no longer contribute to overcrowding.

The liberal transfers in recent years are partly to blame for the squeeze at Creekside Elementary School. The school was built four years ago for 630 students, but in the past year, the student population grew to 900.

The transfer policy also has been seen as enabling resegregation among students, creating uneven distributions of students by race, class or ability.

The policy was made its most liberal during the era of previous Superintendent Ann Denlinger, who led the school system through turbulent times.

"It was a way to appease the parents who were being more vocal," said parent Jack Gibson, immediate past president of the Durham Council of PTAs. "The goal was to make the community happy. A happy school is a good school."

Gibson added that he wants to see the district keep better tabs of students who transfer to schools for a particular academic program, then drop out of the program but remain at the school.

In other business, the board approved the hiring of two principals.

Cornelius G. Redfearn, an assistant principal at Hope Valley Elementary School, was named principal of Lakewood Elementary School. James E. Ingram, an assistant principal from Cumberland County, will become the principal at Shepard Middle School.

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