Open Enrollment 101: The Basics

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Open Enrollment 101The Basics

• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• Public School Open Enrollment Workshops
• November/December 2008

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What is Open Enrollment?

• To one degree or another, open enrollment allows
  a student to transfer to the public school of his
  or her choice
• Inter-district to another school district.
• Intra-district to another school within the
  resident school district (local issue)

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Two Types of Inter-District OE

• Full-time open enrollment
• Student transfers from one school district to
  another on a full-time basis.
• Part-time open enrollment
• High school students may take up to two courses
  in nonresident school districts.

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Part-time Attendance for Private School
Home-Based Students

• High school students enrolled in private school
  or home-based private educational program
• Must be permitted to take up to 2 courses in the
  resident school district, if space is available.
• Resident district may count FTE for state aid,
  but not revenue limits.

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Full-time Inter-District Public School Open
Enrollment in Wisconsin
6
Who Can Open Enroll?

• Any student in 5-year-old kindergarten to grade
  12.
• Prekindergarten, early childhood education and
  4-year-old kindergarten
• Only if childs resident district offers the same
  type of program, and
• Only if child is eligible for the program in the
  resident school district.

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How Does OE Work?

• Parent applies in February.
• Both districts review and can deny only for
  statutory reasons.
• If approved by both districts, student can open
  enroll.
• Parents are responsible for transportation.

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Who Pays for OE?

• Regular Education
• DPI transfers state-set amount from resident to
  nonresident districts state aid.
• Special Education
• No state aid transfer.
• Nonresident district bills resident district for
  basic OE amount plus actual, additional special
  education costs.

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School Boards Must Adopt Policies

• Acceptance rejection criteria.
• Statement of required preferences.
• Guarantees of acceptance, if any.
• Reapplication requirements, if any.
• Transportation.

Policy changes must be adopted prior to the
beginning of the application period.
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Statistics
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Applying for Open Enrollment

• Application Period
• February 2-20, 2009

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Getting Ready for the Application Period

• Be sure necessary OPAL users are authorized and
  OPAL contact person is current.
• Establish internal procedures for providing
  information and accepting applications.
• Designate one place for receiving paper
  applications.
• Designate one person/office to respond to
  questions.

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Application Form (PI 9410)

• On-line (strongly encouraged)
• https//www2.dpi.state.wi.us/OpenEnrollApp/
• School districts are encouraged to link to the
  DPI web site or directly to the on-line form.
• Paper form
• 4-part carbon-set provided to districts.
• Half as many forms as last year.
• Web version please do not link to paper form.
• Spanish version (on web onlyok to link).

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Submitting an On-line Form

• On-line applications are valid when the parent
  finishes the application, submits it and receives
  a confirmation number.
• Should not also submit a paper form.
• Both nonresident resident districts may
  immediately view and print application or may
  download into Excel spreadsheet.

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Submitting a Paper Form

• Must be physically submitted to the nonresident
  district by 4 pm on Feb 20.
• Hand delivery is recommended. Postmark does not
  qualify.
• Not to resident district or DPI.
• Form submitted to wrong place should be returned
  ASAP.
• Nonresident district should date return copy to
  parent.

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Anticipated Move

• May apply in anticipation of a move
• Does not need to live in resident district or in
  Wisconsin to apply.
• Must know 2009-10 resident district
• If unknown, may not be able to apply.
• Must live in named resident district before
  beginning OE and at least through the 3rd Friday
  in September.

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Private School, Home-based Other Non-Enrolled
Students

• May apply for open enrollment.
• Approve/deny same as other students.
• Must enroll in resident district prior to
  attendance in nonresident district.
• It is not necessary to enroll in the resident
  district prior to application.

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Virtual Charter Schools

• Applicants to virtual charter schools are
  strongly encouraged to apply on-line.
• Paper applications are not prohibited, but
  student must then also submit a virtual school
  supplement page.

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Handling Applications
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Reviewing On-line Applications

• Edits will catch many, but not all, errors.
  Review for
• Correct nonresident district (e.g. parent
  indicates virtual school when your district
  doesnt offer a virtual school).
• Age and grade make sense.
• Parent and student names are correct.
• ASAP errors harder to correct later.

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Reviewing Paper Applications

• Review for
• Timeliness
• Right place nonresident district office
• Complete accurate
• Minimum Name, birthdate, grade, address,
  nonresident district, resident district, signed.
• Resident district means the district the student
  will reside in for the 2009-10 school year.

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Handling Paper Applications

• A copy of each paper application must be sent to
  the resident district.
• Paper applications must be entered into OPAL by
  the nonresident district
• Deadline February 27 (end of day)
• Communication features of OPAL require all
  applications to be entered by deadline.

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Reapplications, Duplicates Too Many Applications

• Reapplications
• Do not enter into OPAL.
• If submitted via OPAL, request DPI to delete.
• Duplicates Request DPI to delete.
• Too Many Applications
• Excess applications should be withdrawn before
  end of application period.

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Special Education Expulsion Records

• Nonresident district request for all applicants
• Request directly in OPAL.
• Resident district provide records in 5 working
  days
• Respond directly in OPAL
• No records.
• Yes, expulsion records (send)
• Yes, special education records (send)

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Special Education Cost Estimate

• Nonresident district must provide special
  education cost estimate
• By March 16 on form PI 2092.
• Only for special education/related services
  required in IEP.
• Basic OE amount plus only actual, additional
  student-specific special education costs.
• No averaged or prorated costs.

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Approval/Denial Notification

• Nonresident district approve or deny.
• Resident district only denial is required.
• Must be postmarked by April 10, 2009.
• DPI form recommended (may use OPAL).
• Affidavit of mailing.
• Must include
• Written reason for denial (include all).
• Place on waiting list, if applicable.
• Notice of right to appeal.

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Notice of School Assignment

• Nonresident district must notify approved
  applicants of school assignment first day of
  school.
• By May 15, 2009. (If known, may send with
  approval notice.)
• PI 9416.
• Requested school not guaranteed.
• Parent must notify nonresident district of intent
  to attend by June 5, 2009.

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Intent to Attend

• On June 30, nonresident districts must notify
  resident districts of students who have indicated
  intent to attend.
• Record directly in OPAL.

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Invalid Applications
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Invalid Application

• Untimely.
• Applied to more than 3 nonresident districts.
• No resident district or more than one resident
  district indicated on form.

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Not Age Eligible

• ECE Must be 3 by the 3rd Friday in September.
• 4K Must be 4 by September 1.
• 5K Must be 5 by September 1.
• Adult Must not have reached 21 by first day of
  school.

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Request for Early Admission

• Parent may request early admission for 4K or 5K.
• Nonresident district may evaluate.
• Send conditional acceptance.
• 5K must meet criteria in nonresident district
  only.
• 4K must meet criteria in both resident
  nonresident districts.

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PreK, 4K Early Childhood

• Resident district must offer the same type of
  program
• 4K generally same type of program if both can be
  counted.
• If not, contact DPI to discuss.
• ECE student can OE for special education
  required in IEP.

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Nonresident DistrictReasons for Denial

• May Only Deny for Reasons Specified in State Law
  School Board Policy

35
Regular Education Space

• Space not available in schools, programs, classes
  or grades.
• May consider
• Class size limits, pupil-teacher ratios, tuition
  agreements with other school districts and
  enrollment projections.
• Spaces already occupied by new applicants and
  siblings.

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• Application is to a district, not to a school.
• Parent may request specific school may limit
  application.
• If space is not available in requested school,
  district must approve application if space is
  available in another school.
• If parent limited application, district may deny
  or may approve and assign student to a school
  with space.

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Special Education Related Services

• Not available in nonresident district.
• Space not available in special education or
  related services.
• Key is required by students IEP.

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Referral for Special Education Evaluation

• A school board may consider whether
• A student has been referred to his or her
  resident school district for a special education
  evaluation or
• Been identified as a child with a disability but
  has not yet been evaluated by an IEP team.

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• DPI has interpreted this to mean
• A referral has been made but evaluation not
  completed.
• A student has been identified as a child with a
  disability, but IEP has not been developed.
• A student has been identified as a child with a
  disability, but does not have a valid IEP.
• Reason for denial is referred for special
  education evaluation.
• You may further explain the circumstances behind
  the decision, but do not deny for a reason not
  specified in statutes (i.e. no records).
• Use DPI form. Check the box.

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• If student has a valid IEP, may not deny on basis
  of special education referral
• Whether or not the student is attending public
  school.
• Whether or not the parent has accepted the
  placement offer.
• If special education records are not received
• Make (and document) every effort to obtain
  records.
• Wait until last possible date before acting on
  application.

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Expulsion Current or Preceding Two Years or
Pending Disciplinary Proceeding

• Based on
• Bomb threat or false information.
• Conduct while under school supervision that
  endangers others.
• Conduct while not under school supervision that
  endangers others at school or school authority
• Possessing a dangerous weapon.
• Can revoke OE after approval if above criteria
  are met prior to the beginning of the initial
  school year.

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Current Expulsion

• No school district is required to admit a student
  during the term of her or his expulsion from
  another school district.
• Wis. Stats. 120.13 (1) (f)

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Nonresident DistrictSelection of Students
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Order of Approval

• Apply criteria to designate a number of spaces by
  grade.
• Fill in following order
• Guarantees (if provided in policy)
• Preferences.
• Random selection.

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Preferences Guarantees

• Must grant preference to
• Currently attending students and siblings of
  currently-attending students.
• If there are more preference students than
  spaces, must approve randomly.
• May guarantee approval to
• Currently attending students or siblings.
• No other preferences or guarantees are permitted.
  

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Preference v. Guarantee

• Preference requires an available space.
• Equal preference to currently-attending students
  siblings.

• Guarantee applies even if class size exceeds
  space criteria.
• May grant guarantee to currently attending
  students or siblings
• Not required to grant guarantee to both.

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Random Selection

• If spaces are still available after granting
  guarantees and/or preferences, remaining spaces
  must be filled by random selection.
• If a student is selected randomly, that students
  siblings are given preference to next available
  space.

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Resident DistrictReason for Denial

• Undue Financial Burden

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Undue Financial Burden

• Based on only actual, additional cost to provide
  the special education related services in the
  nonresident school district.
• As proposed to be implemented by the nonresident
  school district.
• May not include basic OE amount or any savings as
  a result of the transfer.

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Definition

• In light of a school districts total economic
  circumstances, including
• Revenue limit.
• Ability to pay the tuition costs.
• Per pupil special education costs for children
  with disabilities continuing to be served by the
  resident district.

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• May not deny solely because
• The special education related services are
  available in the resident school district.
• The resident school district can provide the
  special education related services less
  expensively.
• The resident district disagrees with how the IEP
  will be implemented in the nonresident district.
• The resident district does not wish to pay
  additional costs.

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Appeals

• Test of School Boards Decision Is On Appeal

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Filing an AppealStandard of Review

• Parent may file an appeal with the DPI within 30
  days after the notice of denial is postmarked or
  delivered to the parent, whichever is first.
• DPI must affirm school boards decision unless
  the decision was arbitrary or unreasonable.

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The Open Enrolled Student
55
Transportation

• Parents are responsible for open enrollment
  transportation.
• Either the resident or nonresident district may
  provide transportation
• The nonresident district may not pick up a child
  within the boundaries of the resident district
  unless the resident district agrees.
• Only the resident district may claim categorical
  aid.

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Special Education Transportation

• IEP-required transportation must be provided by
  the nonresident district.
• The cost may be billed to the resident district
  if it is an actual, additional special education
  cost.

57
Transportation Cost Reimbursement

• Low-income parents may apply to the DPI for
  reimbursement of transportation costs.
• Low-income means eligible for free or
  reduced-price meals.
• Parent applies for reimbursement on application
  form submits claim at end of each semester.
• Refer questions to DPI.

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Rights Responsibilities

• OE students have the same rights and privileges
  as resident students, and
• Are subject to the same rules regulations as
  resident students.
• May be disciplined in same manner as resident
  students
• Open enrollment cannot be terminated as a
  punishment.
• WIAA governs inter-scholastic athletics.

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Expelling an OE Student

• If a nonresident district expels an open enrolled
  student, it may also terminate the open
  enrollment. If OE is terminated
• Nonresident district should notify the parent
  that the OE is terminated.
• Resident district does not have to enroll student
  during the term of the expulsion.
• If OE is terminated, resident district provides
  special education services.

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• If OE is not terminated
• Student may return to the nonresident district
  after expulsion, as long as the OE is not
  otherwise terminated
• Student enrolls in/attends another public or
  private school.
• Student has not attended the nonresident by the
  3rd Friday in September.
• Nonresident district must provide special
  education services.

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Special Education
62
Students with Disabilities Can (and Do)
Participate in OE
63
New OE Student

• An new open enrolled student is treated as a
  transfer student.
• The receiving district must implement the
  previous school districts IEP or develop a new
  IEP.

64
FAPE Agency

• The nonresident district is responsible to
  provide FAPE to open enrolled students
• Procedural safeguards.
• Due process.
• IEP team.
• Placement

Free Appropriate Public Education
65
IEP Team

• The nonresident district is responsible for the
  IEP team.
• The resident district must appoint a member to
  the IEP team.
• Purpose of IEP team is to provide FAPE. Resident
  school district membership is not intended to
  protect the financial interests of the resident
  district.

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Placement

• Same placement responsibility and options as for
  resident students
• In district (requested school is not guaranteed)
• Out of district
• Tuition to another district.
• CESA.
• CCDEB.
• Other cooperative or consortium.

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Referral

• Either district may receive a special education
  referral.
• Must notify the other district.
• Nonresident district must have internal
  procedures whereby the special education team is
  notified of the students OE status.
• Nonresident district convenes the IEP team.

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Availability Space

• If an OE students IEP is developed or revised,
  the nonresident district may consider whether
• The special education related services are
  available in the district, or
• Whether there is space to provide the special
  education related services.

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• If not available or no space
• Nonresident district requires the student to
  return to school in the resident school district,
  which must provide a placement.
• Must provide written notice to parent and
  resident district.
• Include notification of right to appeal.
• Parent may appeal decision within 30 days of
  receipt of notice.
• No stay put requirement in open enrollment.

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• If yes, the nonresident district must send to the
  resident district
• Estimate of actual, additional special education
  costs it will incur to implement the IEP.
• No average or prorated costs.
• Send as soon as possible after completion of the
  IEP.
• Form PI 2092.

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Undue Financial Burden

• If the cost to implement the new or revised IEP
  is an undue financial burden to the resident
  district
• It may require the child to return to the
  resident district, which must provide a
  placement.
• Must provide written notice to parent and
  resident district.
• Include notification of right to appeal.
• Parent may appeal decision within 30 days of
  receipt of notice.
• No stay put requirement in open enrollment.

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Open Enrollment Funding
73
Pupil Count

• Resident district counts students in membership
  for state aid revenue limits.
• Nonresident district counts student for
  everything else.
• Child count.
• WSLS/ISES.
• State assessments.

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Regular EducationState Aid Adjustments

• DPI transfers OE amount
• From the resident district,
• To the nonresident district.
• Most transfers made to final June equalization
  aid payment.
• If district does not receive enough equalization
  aid to cover payments, other aid will be
  withheld.

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Amount of State Aid Adjustment

• Prior year statewide average cost/member for
• Regular education.
• Co-curricular activities.
• Instructional support services.
• Pupil services.
• Estimated each May, finalized the following May.

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History of OE Aid Adjustments
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Regular Education Example
78
Special Education

• No state aid adjustment is made by the DPI for
  special education students.
• Instead, the resident district pays to the
  nonresident district
• The basic OE amount, plus only
• Any actual, additional costs to provide special
  education to the student.

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Actual Additional Cost

• Must be actual cost.
• Must be cost for special education or related
  services required in the IEP.
• Must be student-specific.
• May not include any averaged or prorated costs.

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Special Education Example
81
Accounting for OE Payments

• Nonresident District
• Revenue
• Regular Education
• Fund 10
• Source 345
• Special Education
• Fund 27
• Source 347

• Resident District
• Expenditure
• Regular Education
• Fund 10
• Function 435 000
• Object 382
• Special Education
• Fund 27
• Function 437 000
• Object 382

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Revenue Limit ExemptionTransfer of Service

• Student moves into your district.
• Previously receiving special education from
  another governmental unit.
• Continues to attend previous district under
  OE/tuition waiver or transfers to a different
  district under OE.
• Revenue limit exemption may be granted for the
  amount of special education tuition charged for
  the transfer of this new resident student.

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Reporting Tracking
84
OPen Enrollment Application Log- OPAL -

• All tracking and reporting of open enrolled
  students will be done on-line via OPAL.
• There will be no more paper lists!

Additional Year Tuition Waivers will continue to
be handled via paper.
85
Applications

• Parents apply on-line.
• Paper applications are entered into OPAL by the
  nonresident school district.
• It is essential that this be completed by
  February 27.
• Applications in OPAL are immediately accessible
  to both resident nonresident districts.

86
Exchange of Information

• Special education expulsion records are
  requested through OPAL.
• Resident district responds via OPAL.
• No records.
• Yes, special education records (send).
• Yes, expulsion records (send).
• Nonresident district sends special education
  estimate.

87
Approval/Denial Summaries

• Nonresident resident districts enter each
  students approval/denial status (including
  reason for denial).
• No need to send approval/denial summaries to DPI.

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Intent to AttendWaiting Lists

• Nonresident districts will enter parents
  responses of intent to attend.
• No need to send separate listings to resident
  districts.
• Districts may indicate when student is accepted
  from waiting list (or denial is otherwise
  reversed).

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Third Friday in September

• Nonresident district indicates whether student is
  in attendance on the 3rd Friday in September.
• If student was in attendance prior to the 3rd
  Friday in September, but absent on the third
  Friday, a change of status may be completed if
  the student attends after the 3rd Friday.

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Changes of Status

• Changes of status will be entered directly into
  OPAL by either district.
• An email will be sent to the contact person in
  the other district, which must agree or disagree
  with the change.
• The data base will not be updated until both
  districts agree.
• If the districts disagree, they must communicate
  until the issue is resolved.

91
Changes of StatusThat Terminate OE

• Withdrawal from nonresident district.
• Move into nonresident district.
• Enrollment in and attendance at resident district
  or any other public or private school or
  home-school.
• Move to a resident district, other than the one
  on the application form, prior to the 3rd Friday
  in September in the initial OE year.
• No longer a resident of Wisconsin.

92
Changes of StatusThat Do Not Terminate OE

• Change in special education status.
• Move to a different address within the resident
  district.
• Move to a different resident district any time
  after the 3rd Friday of September in the initial
  OE year.
• Resident district on the 3rd Friday in September
  is OE for entire school year.

93
Communication Is Still Key!

• OPAL works only to the extent that districts
  promptly enter information and changes and reply
  to pending changes.
• If districts disagree on a students OE status,
  they must still communicate with each other until
  it is resolved. OPAL cannot resolve differences!

94
Reminder

• OPAL is not currently tied to any other data
  base, so changes to any other data reported to
  DPI must be done separately
• State aid membership.
• WSLS/ISES entries.

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Resources
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OE Web Site List Serve

• Open Enrollment Web Site
• http//dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html
• Open Enrollment List Serve
• receive information and announcements
• printed information rarely used
• to sign up, send email to
• maryjo.cleaver_at_dpi.wi.gov

97
Open Enrollment StaffToll-free
888-245-2732Fax [phone]

• Mary Jo Cleaver, Open Enrollment Consultant
• maryjo.cleaver_at_dpi.wi.gov
• 608-267-9101
• Joan Thompson, Office Operations Associate
• joan.thompson_at_dpi.wi.gov
• 608-267-9248
• Bob Soldner, Director, School Management Services
• robert.soldner_at_dpi.wi.gov
• 608-266-7475