The draft policy on enrolments in out-of-home-area schools was delivered to principals and school associations last month and is the latest step in the ongoing schools viability issue.

The policy includes new measures to restrict children bypassing their local school to attend a school in another area.

It says parents wanting to enrol their child at an out-of-area school must first seek the permission of their local principal and then the principal of their preferred school.

It also imposes criteria the principal would have to follow in assessing such applications.

Many parents would have had to seek such permission already, but it is not always enforced or it is relatively informal. The new policy would tighten reporting requirements for principals accepting out-of-area students.

If approved it would apply in 2014.

Education Minister Nick McKim stressed the policy was a draft and encouraged schools to have their say.

The state teachers' union has effectively welcomed the policy but it has received a cool reception from parents and representative groups.

Tasmanian State School Parents and Friends vice-president Jenny Eddington said her group had always felt parents should send children to the local school but some flexibility was needed.

The policy is a result of the School Viability Report, which was handed to Education Minister Nick McKim in February.

That was done after the government had to abandon a planned program of school closures last year.

The report found a high percentage of children travelled to schools out of their local area and its main recommendations were for the government to review school zones, enrolments and transport.

An Infrastructure Department spokesman said that the government had budgeted to subsidise rural school bus services by $19.5 million in 2012-13. It would spend $21.7 million in metropolitan areas.