TUITION
Parents/legal guardians of students residing outside the city limits of Bristol, Tennessee, must submit a tuition application as a non-resident student each year. This is required for all tuition students, including those attending a tuition-free designated elementary school.
- New for the 2025-2026 School Year: Anderson Elementary will join Fairmount Elementary as a tuition-free school.

TRANSFER
Parents/legal guardians of students residing in the city limits of Bristol, Tennessee, wanting to transfer to a different elementary school than their child is zoned for must complete an out-of-zone transfer application each school year.

TUITION & TRANSFER ELIGIBILITY
The criteria for admission as a tuition or a transfer student include:

• Space must be available.

• Appropriate programs must be available.

• Must have good attendance and discipline records.

• Satisfactory academic record (grades 6-12).

• The student must be in good financial standing regarding payment of any owed fees.

Students suspended or expelled from other school systems will not be admitted to Bristol Tennessee City Schools, with the exception of Tennessee Online Public School (TOPS).

Tuition and transfer data will be reviewed quarterly to analyze attendance data (including excessive absences, tardies, and early withdrawals) and discipline incidents, which may result in probation or denial of admission for the following school year.

School Zones
City residents should visit the Bus Routes & School Zone Locator to determine the elementary school zone listed for the home address.

Apply by the listed deadline as a tuition/transfer student. Late applications may be accepted and approved based on program space and prioritized by the date of the application.

• March 10:   Returning student transfer and tuition applications will be mailed to parents. New and returning student applications will be accepted.

• April 3 : : Open Enrollment information posted, including the number of seats available.

• April 25: New and returning tuition and transfer applications are due.

• June 2: Lottery will be conducted to select enrollment at schools/grade levels where more open enrollment requests have been received than seats are available.

• June 3: Anticipated date when notification to parents/guardians of student enrollment status for transfer students will be mailed.

• July 7: Anticipated date when notification to parents/guardians of student enrollment for tuition students will be mailed.

For additional information, please call the Student Services office at 423-652-9233 or refer to policy 6.204 Attendance of Non-Resident Students and policy 6.206 Transfers within the System.