Open enrollment application period is Feb 5-23

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has notified school districts that February 5-23 is the statewide open enrollment period in which parents who wish to choose the public school district their children will attend for the 2007-08 school year must file open enrollment applications.

“Wisconsin is entering its 10th year of providing open enrollment,” said State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster. “The program is one of many options our state offers to support parents’ involvement in decisions affecting their children’s education.”

In Wisconsin, children are assigned to school districts based on the location of their parents’ home. February’s three-week application period for open enrollment is the only tuition-free opportunity for most parents to apply for their children to attend public school in a district other than the one in which they live. Since the 1998-99 school year, participation in the open enrollment program has grown from 2,464 students transferring to another school district in the first year, to 21,025 during the 2005-06 school year.

Under the full-time public school open enrollment program, parents must apply during the application period to the school district they wish their children to attend. Early and late applications are not accepted. Parents will be informed by April 6 whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied.

In most circumstances, transportation is the responsibility of the parent. However, some school districts may elect to provide partial transportation. Parents with questions about transportation should call both the resident and nonresident school district offices to find out if any transportation will be provided. Reimbursement of some transportation costs is available for low-income parents whose children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the federal school lunch program.

The DPI provides the following guidelines for parents who wish to apply for open enrollment:

• Open enrollment deadlines are firm. Application forms must be submitted to the nonresident school district no earlier than Feb. 5 and no later than Feb. 23. Early and late applications will be returned. The forms are due in the nonresident school district no later than 4 p.m. on Feb. 23; a postmark will not meet the requirement. Hand-delivery of application forms to the nonresident school district is strongly recommended.
• Parents may submit applications to no more than three nonresident school districts for each child during the open enrollment application period. Submitting more than three applications to nonresident school districts will result in all applications being invalidated.
• Forms must be filled out completely and accurately. Contact the local school district office or the DPI if assistance is needed in filling out the form. An inaccurate or incomplete form may result in denial of an application.
• Parents may request enrollment in a specific school or program in the nonresident school district; however, enrollment in the requested school or program is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed.
• Most students who attended a nonresident school district under open enrollment last year are not required to reapply for the 2007-08 school year. However, if the student will be entering middle school, junior high school, or high school in the 2007-08 school year, parents should call the nonresident school district to find out if reapplication will be required.
• Parents may apply for their children to attend 4-year-old kindergarten under open enrollment only if the resident school district also offers a 4-year-old kindergarten program for which the child is eligible.

Open enrollment application forms may be obtained from any public school district, from the Department of Public Instruction, or from the DPI’s open enrollment website at http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html. To assist parents in submitting open enrollment applications, a directory of public school districts is available on the DPI website at http://www.dpi.wisconsin.gov/schlsrch3.aspx. More information is available from local school districts or from Mary Jo Cleaver, DPI, 888-245-2732 (toll-free), or maryjo.cleaver@dpi.state.wi.us.

Last updated on 1/22/2007