School District Procedures for Processing Part-Time Public
School Open Enrollment Applications
DPI INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN
Bulletin 98-04, April 1998 (Revised August 2007)
School District Procedures for Processing Part-Time Public
School Open Enrollment Applications
Section 118.52, Wis. Stats., creates a part-time public school
open enrollment program beginning in the 1998-99 school year.
Under the part-time program, a student who is enrolled in a
public school in the high school grades may attend up to two courses
at a time in nonresident school districts.
RECEIVING APPLICATIONS:
- The parent/student must submit the application (PI-9412) to
the nonresident school district or districts no later than 6 weeks
before the scheduled start of the course. (It is the responsibility
of the parent/student to obtain from the nonresident school district
the date on which the course will begin.)
- The application must specify the course that the student wishes
to attend and may specify the school or schools at which the student
wishes to attend the course, however, attendance at a specific
school is not guaranteed.
- The nonresident school district should date the application
form.
- If any information is missing or unclear, the nonresident
school district should contact the parent/student and attempt
to obtain all of the necessary information.
- A student may take up to two courses at any one time under
the part-time program. If the courses are taken in different
nonresident school districts, a separate form must be filled out
and submitted to each nonresident school district.
- Late applications must be returned to the parents/students
with a letter indicating the required application date and explaining
the reason for the return.
- Ineligible applications--for example, from students who are
not currently enrolled in a Wisconsin public school district or
who are not enrolled in high school--must also be returned to
the parents/students with a letter explaining the reason for the
return.
Some common questions:
1. May students who are enrolled in private schools or home-based
private education programs apply to take a course or courses under
the part-time interdistrict open enrollment program?
No. Only students who are enrolled in a public school in the
high school grades may take courses under the part-time open enrollment
program. Under a separate statute (s. 118.145 (4), Wis. Stats.),
high school students who are enrolled in private schools or home-based
private education programs may take one or two courses per semester
in their resident school districts.
2. May students in junior high school apply to take high school
courses under the part-time open enrollment program?
No. Only students enrolled in the high school grades may take
courses under the part-time open enrollment program.
3. Do all the courses have to be taken in the same school district?
No. The student may take one course in one school district and
another course in a different school district as long as no more
than two courses are taken at the same time. It is the responsibility
of the student to ensure that her or his schedule can accommodate
such an arrangement. Neither school district is required to
make any accommodations to enable the student to do this.
4. May students apply to take summer school courses under the
part-time open enrollment program?
Beginning with the summer school of 1999, students may apply to
take summer school courses. However, only courses that are eligible
to be counted for state aid purposes may be taken under the program.
5. How does a student find out when the course is scheduled
to begin and what the prerequisites for the course are?
It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this information
from the nonresident school district.
6. How many courses may be taken in a year?
A student is permitted to take two courses at one time. The
number of courses taken in a year will be depend on the length
of the courses taken.
7. Can a student take two courses in one school district and
another two courses in another school district?
Not at the same time. No more than two courses may be taken
at any time under the part-time program.
PROCESSING APPLICATIONS - NONRESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT:
- Within 3 working days of receiving the application form, the
nonresident school district must send a copy of the application
form to the student's resident school district. The nonresident
school district should not send a copy of the form to the
Department of Public Instruction.
- As soon as possible after receiving the application, the nonresident
school district should provide to the resident school district
an estimate of the cost of the course, calculated as follows:
PI 36.09 Calculating cost of course. The cost of the course under s. 118.51 (12), Stats., shall be calculated as follows:
- Calculate the total number of hours of instruction that the student will be enrolled in the course.
- Calculate the total number of hours of instruction required annually for a full−time high school student in the nonresident school district.
- Divide the result of sub. (1) by the result of sub. (2).
- Multiply the result of sub. (3) by the school district’s regular annual tuition rate, as calculated under s. 121.83 (1), Stats.
- It is recommended that the nonresident school district keep
the original of the form and make copies for the various notifications.
- The nonresident school district may request from the resident
school district any student records that are necessary to determine
whether the student meets the entrance criteria for the course.
The nonresident school district may also request a copy of
any expulsion findings and orders pertaining to the student, a
copy of records of any pending disciplinary proceeding and the
length of the term of the expulsion or the possible outcomes of
the pending disciplinary proceeding.
- Following receipt of the applications, the nonresident school
district must act on them in accordance with the policies and
procedures adopted by the school board. Except for space and
the preferences indicated in the following two points, the school
district must use the same criteria for acceptance or rejection
into a course that applies to resident students.
- The nonresident school district must give preference in attending
a course to resident private school and home-based students who
are applying to take a course under s. 118.145, Wis. Stats., as
long as the student applied for the course prior to one week before
the start of the course or by a date established by the school
board that is between 6 weeks and 1 week prior to the scheduled
start of the course. Section 118.145, Wis. Stats., requires
school districts to allow resident high school students in private
schools or home-based private education programs to take one or
two core or non-core courses if space is available.
- If the policies of the nonresident school board provide that
residents of the school district who live outside the attendance
area of a particular school will be given preference in taking
a course or courses at that school, the preference may apply to
any resident of the district that is eligible to take the course,
including:
- Students who are enrolled in a school in the nonresident school
district other than the one in which the course is taken.
- Students who are enrolled in a private school or home-based
private educational program who are taking a course in the school
district other than under s. 118.145, Wis. Stats., or who are
taking non-core courses in addition to courses taken under s.
118.145, Wis. Stats.
- Students over 20 years of age who are admitted to school under
s. 118.14 (2), Wis. Stats.
- Except for the preferences indicated in the two points above,
if a nonresident school board receives more applications for a
particular course than there are spaces available in the course,
the nonresident school board must use a random method to determine
which students to accept.
- No later than one week prior to the date on which the course
is scheduled to commence, the nonresident school board must notify
the applicant and the resident school board, in writing, whether
the application has been accepted and, if the application is accepted,
the school at which the student may attend the course. The acceptance
applies only for the following semester, school year or other
session in which the course is offered. If the nonresident school
board rejects an application, it must include in the notice the
reason for the rejection and must notify the parent/student that
the rejection may be appealed to the Department of Public Instruction
within 30 days.
- If the school board approves the student's attendance at the
course, it must also include in the notice that the parent/student
must notify the nonresident school district and the resident school
district, no later than the last weekday (excluding state holidays)
before the course begins, whether or not the student will attend
the course.
- The nonresident school district must make an effort to ensure
that the parent/student receives the notice no later than one
week before the course is scheduled to begin. If the notice
is postmarked at least 3 days before the date on which the parent
is required to receive the notice, it will be considered timely
notification.
Some common questions:
1. May a nonresident school district deny a student because
the student does not have good enough grades to take the course
or has not taken certain courses prior to taking the course?
Yes, but only if those same criteria apply to resident students
who wish to take the course.
2. May a nonresident school district deny a student for disciplinary
reasons?
Again, only if those same criteria apply to resident students
who wish to take the course.
3. What records may a nonresident school district request from
a resident school district?
The nonresident school district may request those records or transcripts
that are necessary to determine whether the student meets the
school district's established criteria for admittance to the course.
The nonresident school district may also request records relating
to an expulsion during the current or preceding two school years
or pending disciplinary proceedings that may lead to expulsion.
4. May a school district give priority in a course to resident
students?
Yes, but the priority may be applied differently to different
circumstances. For example:
- Students whose school of attendance is the school in which
the course is offered should always receive priority, if they
meet the entrance criteria for the course.
- If the school board allows resident students to take courses
in schools other than the students' regular school of attendance,
the board may, by policy, give preference to these students.
- The school board may, by policy, give preference to any residents
of the school district, including students who are enrolled in
private schools, home-based programs, adult students, etc.
- The school board must give preference to resident high school
students who are enrolled in private schools and home-based programs
if those students apply to take courses under s. 118.145 (4),
Wis. Stats., provided that the student applied prior to one week
before the start of the course or by a date established by the
school board that is between 6 weeks and 1 week prior to the scheduled
start of the course.
5. What are the provisions of s. 118.145 (4), Wis. Stats.,
and how do they coordinate with part-time open enrollment?
Section 118.145 (4), Wis. Stats., states that "the school
board of a school district operating high school grades shall
allow a pupil enrolled in a private school or a pupil enrolled
in a home-based educational program, who has met the standards
for admission to high school under sub. (1), to take up to 2 courses
during each school semester if the pupil resides in the school
district in which the public school is located and if the school
board determines that there is sufficient space in the classroom."
Part-time open enrollment applies to students currently enrolled
in public schools who wish to take one or two courses outside
their school district of residence. Section 118.145 (4), Wis.
Stats., applies to high school students who are enrolled in private
schools or home-based programs who wish to take one or two courses
in public schools within their resident school districts. If
a school district has an application from a resident student who
wishes to take a course under s. 118.145 (4), Wis. Stats., and
also an application from a nonresident student who wishes to take
a course under part-time open enrollment, the resident student
receives preference.
PROCESSING APPLICATIONS - RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT:
- Upon receiving copies of part-time open enrollment application
forms from nonresident school districts, the resident school district
must act on them in accordance with school board policies and
procedures.
- Upon request of a nonresident school district, the resident
school district must promptly provide the following records:
- Records or transcripts that are necessary to determine whether
the student meets the school district's established criteria for
admittance to the course.
- Records relating to an expulsion during the current or preceding
two school years or pending disciplinary proceedings that may
lead to expulsion.
- No later than one week prior to the date on which the course
is scheduled to commence, the resident school board must notify
the applicant and the resident school board, in writing, if the
application has been denied. If the resident school board rejects
an application, it must include in the notice the reason for the
rejection and must notify the parent/student that the rejection
may be appealed to the Department of Public Instruction within
30 days.
- The resident school district may only reject an application
if it determines that the course conflicts with the individualized
education plan program (IEP) or if the cost of the course would
impose on the resident school district an undue financial burden.
- Also no later than one week prior to the date on which the
course is scheduled to commence, the resident school board must
notify the applicant, in writing, if the course does not meet
the resident school district's high school graduation requirements.
However, if the course does not meet the high school graduation
requirements, it is not grounds for denial.
- The nonresident school district must make an effort to ensure
that the parent/student receives the notice no later than one
week before the course is scheduled to begin. If the notice
is postmarked at least 3 days before the date on which the parent
is required to receive the notice, it will be considered timely
notification.
Some common questions:
1. May a resident school district deny a student's attendance
under part-time open enrollment if the resident school district
offers a comparable course?
No. There are no comparability provisions under part-time open
enrollment.
2. May a resident school district, as a matter of policy or
practice, deny all participation in part-time open enrollment
citing undue financial burden as the reason?
No. If the resident school district denies an application based
on undue financial burden, the district must be able to show,
on appeal, that the cost of course a) is a financial burden, and
b) that the financial burden is undue.
3. May a student participate in both part-time open enrollment
and youth options at the same time?
Yes, as long as the student meets the requirements for each program.
4. What should a resident school district do if it does not
receive an estimate of cost from the nonresident school district?
It should call the nonresident school district and ask the district
to provide the estimate. The resident district, in turn, should
send requested records as soon as possible. The success of this
program depends on timely sharing of information and every district
should try to do its part. If school districts do not cooperate
with each other, it is the students who are caught in the middle.
MISCELLANEOUS:
RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF NONRESIDENT STUDENTS:
A student attending a course in a public school in a nonresident
school district under this section has all of the rights and privileges
of students residing in that school district and is subject to
the same rules and regulations as students residing in that school
district.
TRANSPORTATION:
- The parent of a student attending a course in a public school
in a nonresident school district under this section is responsible
for transporting the student to and from the course that the student
is attending.
- The parent of a student who is attending a course in a public
school in a nonresident school district under this section may
apply to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for reimbursement
of the costs incurred by the parent for the transportation of
the student to and from the student's residence or school in which
the student is enrolled and the school at which the student is
attending the course if the student and parent are unable to pay
the cost of such transportation. The DPI must give preference
under this paragraph to those students who are eligible for a
free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC 1758 (b).
Some common questions:
1. How does a low-income parent apply for transportation reimbursement
for part-time open enrollment?
It is not necessary to pre-apply for transportation reimbursement
under the part-time program. The parent should submit a claim
form to the DPI after the first semester. Eligibility and the
amount of the payment will be determined at that time. Claim
forms are expected to be available by November 1998, and will
be mailed to school districts and placed on the DPI's web site.
2. Are there any circumstances under which a school district
must provide transportation for part-time open enrollment?
No. Neither school district is required to provide transportation,
nor is there specific authorization in the statutes for either
school district to do so. If a school district were to decide
to provide transportation under the statutes which permit the
district to transport students not otherwise entitled to be transported
at the parents' expense, it may do so, but may not receive any
transportation aid.
Mailing Address:
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 S. Webster Street, P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
For Additional Information or Questions Contact:
Mary Jo Cleaver, Public School Open Enrollment Consultant, (608) 267-9101,
E-Mail: maryjo.cleaver@dpi.wi.gov
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction does not discriminate
on the basis of sex, race, religion, age, national origin, ancestry,
creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation
or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability.
For questions about this information, contact Mary J. Cleaver (608) 267-9101
Last updated on 2/26/2008 2:29:25 PM
Home
Contact Us