Click the links below to navigate to different sections of this page:
Reassignment of School Codes
This page describes the decision process used by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to determine when to assign a new school code. New school codes must be issued following a change of certain circumstances, such as: adding/removing grade levels from an existing school, merging two schools, or splitting an existing school into multiple schools.
Local Education Agencies (LEA) in need of a new school code, also need to be aware of the implications that result from that change:
- Trend data for a school that receives a new school code will be interrupted.
- This interruption could then possibly affect how accountability is determined, and could also possibly affect eligibility for grants and awards.
- All student records for those attending a school with a new code will need to be reported (again) using the new code.
LEAs in need of a new school code: Notify DPI by submitting a Help Ticket.
- If the LEA believes unique circumstances, above and beyond the changes described above, should be taken into account by DPI when determining whether a new school code should be assigned, those circumstances should be noted in the Help Ticket.
- Adding detailed information to your Help ticket will allow us to serve you better.
Reading through the Scenarios (further down this page) will prove very helpful.
Change in School Category
When determining changes in school category, refer to the School Category table below.
When calculating whether a school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered in the current year, do not count KG, PK, K4, and K3.
If a private school participating in the Private School Choice Programs (Choice) and/or Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP) is considering a change that may impact its school code, it should not make a change to a school’s structure before discussing it with Choice and/or SNSP staff.
Send an email as follows for next steps:
- Private schools participating in Choice: privateschoolchoice@dpi.wi.gov, and/or
- Private schools participating in SNSP: snsp@dpi.wi.gov.
School Categories
| School Category | Description/Comments |
|---|---|
|
Regular School |
A public elementary/secondary school that does not focus primarily on vocational, special, or alternative education, although it may provide these programs in addition to a regular curriculum. |
|
Special Education School |
A public elementary/secondary school that focuses primarily on serving the needs of students with disabilities. |
|
Vocational Education School |
A school that focuses primarily on providing secondary students with an occupationally-relevant or career–related curriculum, including formal preparation for vocational, technical, or professional occupations. |
|
Alternative Education School |
A public elementary/secondary school that addresses the needs of students that typically cannot be met in a regular school program. The school provides nontraditional education; serves as an adjunct to a regular school; and falls outside the categories of regular, special education, or vocational education. |
Scenario A: One Existing School Experiences Changes
A1. Will the school category change?
*School Categories include: Regular school, Special education school, Vocational education school, and Alternative education school. Refer to the table (above) for the full definitions of each type.
- YES = The school gets a new school code.
- NO = Continue to the next question.
A2. Will the school offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered in the current school year?
When calculating whether a school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered in the current year, do not count KG, PK, K4, and K3.
- YES = The school retains the original school code.
- NO = The school gets a new school code.
A3. Will the school's authorizer be a different LEA or will the school become an independent charter school?
- YES = The school gets a new school code.
- NO = The school retains the original school code.
Scenario B: Two Existing Schools Merge
B1. Will the school category of the proposed new school be different from both of the merging schools?
- YES = If the proposed new school has a different school category than both merging schools, then the new school gets a new school code.
- NO = Continue to the next question.
B2. Will the school category of the proposed new school be different from one of the merging schools but not the other?
- YES = If the proposed new school has a different school category than one merging school, but the same school category as the other merging school, then the new school retains the school code of the merging school with the same school category.
- NO = Continue to the next question.
B3. Will the proposed new school offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered by one or both merging schools in the current school year?
When calculating whether a school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered in the current year, do not count KG, PK, K4, and K3.
- YES =
- If the proposed new school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered by one merging school but not the second merging school in the current school year, then the new school retains the school code of the first merging school.
- If the proposed new school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered by both of the merging schools in the current school year, then continue to B4.
- NO = If the proposed new school is not offering any of the same grade levels that are being offered by either of the merging schools in the current school year, then the new school gets a new school code.
B4. Both merging schools have the same school category AND both merging schools will offer at least one grade level in the current year that will be offered by the proposed new school. The proposed new school takes the school code of the merging school with the largest student enrollment in the most recent school year.
Scenario C: One Existing School Splits into Multiple Schools (each needs its own code)
Ask these questions of each of the newly created schools:
C1. Will the school category of this school be different from the original school?
- YES = The new school gets a new school code.
- NO = Continue to the next question.
C2. Will the new school offer any of the same grade levels that the original school is offering in the current school year?
When calculating whether a school will offer any of the same grade levels that are being offered in the current year, do not count KG, PK, K4, and K3.
- YES = Continue to C3.
- NO = The new school gets a new school code.
C3. The new school has the same school category AND will be offering at least one of the same grades as the original school in the current school year.
- If there is only one new school in this situation, that one new school retains the original school’s school code.
- If two or more new schools are in this situation, the new school with the largest student enrollment in the most recent school year retains the original school’s school code, and the remaining new schools each get a new school code.
Accountability Implications
- If any of the above scenarios result in one or more new school codes, the schools with new codes begin accountability in the first year operating as a school with a new school code.
- If any of the above scenarios result in a school that continues with an existing school code, that school continues with the accountability assigned to that school code.
-
NOTE: Federal guidance (since 2009) concerning assignment of school codes indicates:
A new school should NOT be created if:
- The school’s physical location or address changed;
- A school changed only charter status or magnet status;
- The name of a school changed.