From: DPI Open Enrollment Sent: Wednesday, January 2, 2019 3:12 PM To: Danfield, Jennifer L. DPI Subject: Reminder: January School Board Action and Changes for Alternative Applications Submitted after January Board Meeting To – District Administrators and Open Enrollment Coordinators From – Jen Danfield, Open Enrollment Consultant Subject – Reminder: January School Board Action and Changes for Alternative Applications Submitted after January Board Meeting A reminder that Wisconsin law and Administrative Code requires every school board to designate, for the following school year, the number of open enrollment regular education spaces, by grade, and the number of open enrollment special education spaces, by program or services, in the district using the criteria specified in its policy under s. PI 36.04(2). [Wis. Admin. Code § PI 36.06(5)(a) and Wis. Stat. § 118.51(5)(a)1]. After the regular and special education space determinations have been made at the January board meeting, the nonresident district should include the details of the decision in its board minutes. This will permit parents and others to see what action the board has taken to be in compliance with state law and Administrative Code. The board minutes should not simply make reference to the board passing a motion related to open enrollment space. The following resources are available on our open enrollment website that may be of assistance as needed: https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/open-enrollment/pdf/oe-bulletin-16-10-special-ed- space-determinations.pdf https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment/resources/training As a reminder, there has been a change to the administrative rules regarding alternative applications approved after the January board meeting. The rule now states that a nonresident school board may approve an alternative application submitted after the January school board meeting for a current school year if the board did not limit the number of spaces available in the pupil’s succeeding grade or special education service for applications submitted under the regular application procedure for the following school year [Wis. Admin. Code § PI 36.04(7)]. Before this change, if a nonresident school board limited the number of regular education or special education spaces available for the regular application period open enrollment application for the following school year at their January board meeting, the school district could not approve any alternative applications for the current school year that were submitted after that meeting. This change makes the administrative rules consistent with the provision that allows nonresident school boards to approve alternative application for the current school year from July 1 to the 3rd Friday in September in the grades or special education services that do not have space limitations established by the school board for the following school year. For example, if a nonresident school board limits the number of regular education spaces available in 3rd grade for the 2019-20 school year, between the January board meeting and July, the nonresident district cannot approve any alternative applications for 2nd grade for the 2018- 19 school year that are submitted after the January board meeting in which the space limitations were set and approved by the nonresident school board. Jen Danfield School Administration Consultant Public School Open Enrollment Department of Public Instruction 608-264-6707 or 888-245-2732, option 2, then 3 Jennifer.Danfield@dpi.wi.gov DISCLAIMER: The content of this email is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain legal advice, including compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.