Annual public school open-enrollment under way

Posted: Feb. 7, 2012

Parents hoping to enroll their children in a new school district for next year can apply to do so from Feb. 6-24.

Wisconsin's children are assigned to school districts based on the location of their parents' homes, but under current law, students from kindergarten through high school can apply to attend a school district other than the one in which they live.

The February enrollment period is the only tuition-free opportunity for most parents to apply to send their children to another public school district in the state.

Application does not mean acceptance, however. The open-enrollment program has grown steadily since its inception during the 1998-99 school year, when just short of 6,000 students applied for transfers. Some 2,500 were accepted. Last year, 36,000 students applied for transfers, according to figures from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Nonresident school districts reserve the right to reject an application if regular or special education space is not available, or if a student has been referred for a special-education evaluation but has not yet been evaluated. A nonresident school district can also deny an application if the student has been expelled from their current school district during the current or preceding two years for violent conduct or if they have a history of habitual truancy.

The DPI also notes that in the event that a school district receives more open-enrollment applications than there are spaces, students will be selected randomly, with preference given to nonresident students already attending the school district and the siblings of currently attending students.

The best way to go about applying is online at dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html , but parents can also apply using paper applications obtained from the DPI or any school district. All applications must be delivered by 4 p.m. Feb. 24. The DPI will not accept any late applications.

Open enrollees from previous years need not reapply. Once accepted into a nonresident school district, the student can continue to attend that district without reapplying, although some school districts may require students to reapply at the beginning of middle school or high school. Students with specific special education requirements may also be forced to return to their resident district as well.

Once accepted, students have the same rights as every other student in that school district. They can generally participate in sports and other extracurricular activities, but the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association recently adopted new rules regarding transfer students, so parents are encouraged to consult school district athletic directors concerning eligibility.

Parents assume no tuition costs for open enrolling their students in a nonresident school district, but they become subject to the same fees as resident students.

Parents are, however, responsible for transporting their children to and from nonresident schools. Some, but not all, school districts provide transportation for nonresident students depending on where they live, and usually parents must transport their child to a designated location within the school district to await district-provided transportation. Some low-income parents may also qualify for partial transportation cost reimbursement.

Parents can submit applications for up to three nonresident school districts.

For more specific guidelines and policies, contact school district offices or the DPI.

Important open-enrollment dates

Feb. 6-24: Parents must submit applications online or directly to school districts

April 6: School district notices of approval or denial must be mailed.

May 18: School districts must notify parents of accepted applicants of the specific school or program to which the student is assigned.

June 8: Parents of accepted students must notify the nonresident school district if their child will indeed attend the nonresident school district in 2012-13.