Oklahoma parents who wish to transfer their children into or out of any Oklahoma school district for the 2011-2012 school year have until April 1 to make their request, Putnam City officials say.

State law requires that students attend school in the district in which their custodial parents, legal guardians or others having legal custody reside. However, state law also allows families to request an “open transfer” for their children so that families may reside in one district while students attend a school in another district.

By state law, open transfers must be requested between Jan. 1 and April 1 for the next school year.

Parents requesting open transfers should begin in the school district in which they want their children to attend, says Joe Ellis, administrator of Putnam City’s enrollment office. Parents who want to transfer their children into a Putnam City school from outside the district can get the official state form at http://www.sde.state.ok.us/Schools/StuTransfer/pdf/parenttrans.pdf or from the district enrollment office. The district enrollment office is located at 5604 N.W. 41st, Suite 120.

Official word on whether transfers have been granted comes to parents in early June.

The reasons parents seek open transfers for their children are numerous. Sometimes a school in another district is closer to where parents work, making parenting and child care arrangements easier. Sometimes parents wish for their children to attend a school in another district that offers special programs or has a distinct emphasis in its curriculum. Sometimes parents simply want a fresh start for their child, Ellis says.