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I don't believe that is common, especially in more urban areas where there is only one public school option. Often there are huge waitlists to change public schools, if they have any availability at all.

I've lived in the 'burbs of two major cities and both let you apply to attend a school outside your "boundary." One will approve your request automatically as long as there is space at the school. The other requires a darn good reason to let you switch, and "vicious bullying" was apparently not a good enough reason for my friend to be approved.

It probably depends a lot on funding and student classification. I know that I had access to a lot of options as a student coded "gifted" but if I went public, then there would be a need for a special exemption (as the property taxes were registered to the Catholic board), but one of my cousins was stuck in a crappy school as there was nothing special about him.