From:	DPI Open Enrollment
Sent:	Tuesday, June 22, 2021 10:00 AM
To:	Demrow, Jennifer   DPI
Subject:	2021-22 Alternative Open Enrollment Application

To – District Administrators and Open Enrollment Coordinators

From – Jen Demrow, Open Enrollment Consultant

Subject – 2021-22 Alternative Open Enrollment Application

The 2021-22 alternative open enrollment application is now available on the open enrollment 
website on the Alternative Application Procedures webpage at https://dpi.wi.gov/open-
enrollment/applications/alternative or on our Forms webpage at https://dpi.wi.gov/open-
enrollment/resources/forms. The alternative application form is available in English, Spanish, 
and Hmong. 

Alternative applications are for a current school year. Parents who have missed the regular 
application deadline for the 2021-22 school year may submit alternative applications on or after 
July 1, 2021. You should not accept any alternative applications for the 2021-22 school year 
prior to July 1. If you have already accepted any of these applications, please do not enter them 
into OPAL until after July 1. If you enter them now, they will be entered for the 2020-21 school 
year.  

If you approve an alternative application, the pupil may begin attending immediately. If the 
pupil has not attended by the 15th day after approval, the nonresident district may notify the 
parent that the pupil may not attend. You may extend the 15 days, if you wish. Therefore, if you 
approve the alternative application during the summer, you may extend the 15 days to the 
beginning of the school year. 

Remember: Alternative applications are only to the application period, not to the district’s 
approval/denial criteria. After July 1, a nonresident district may not approve an alternative 
application submitted before the 3rd Friday in September if the district did not approve all 
applications for the student’s grade for applications that were submitted during the regular 
application period for the same school year. [Wis. Admin. Code § PI 36.04(7)]. 

For example, if a nonresident school board limited the number of 1st grade regular education 
spaces available for the 2021-22 school year, the nonresident district cannot approve any 1st 
grade alternative applications for the 2021-22 school year that are submitted before the 3rd 
Friday in September. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at openenrollment@dpi.wi.gov or call us at 888-
245-2732, option 2.   

Jen Demrow
School Administration Consultant
Public School Open Enrollment
Department of Public Instruction
608-264-6707
Jennifer.Demrow@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.