Open Enrollment reviewed at Evansville School Board Meeting

At the Evansville School Board on Monday night, a citizen whose children attended school in Evansville but lived outside the district, wondered whether open enrollment attendance for future years could be denied because of lack of space. Lack of space is becoming a more frequent reason for denial in some districts. Click on the post for a discussion of the open enrollment at Beloit Memorial. Supr. Heidi Garvin responded that denial due to space was unlikely in the near future. She said that the numbers of students coming into the district and going out was been pretty much a "wash" or even.

She also indicated that the "cap" that has limited the number of students leaving a district to 10% will expire this year. She said that Evansville and Albany had supported legislation that would extend this cap. The cap prevents a large number of students from leaving which could imperil the survival of a district or force it to merge. However, she wondered about the success of the amendment in light of the Republican majority in the Wisconsin legislature and she is unsure of how the extension idea will be received.

What are your thoughts on open enrollment?

The original purpose of open enrollment was to give freedom to parents to seek the best "fit" for their children and also one that fits best logistically for busy working parents. Logistics has been a major reason for many transfers. The other purpose was to reward "better quality" school districts and to create a climate of "competition." In some states such as Minnesota, districts actually advertise their services. One such district, Moundsview School District in Minnesota which has had a large number of National Merit Scholars has used this to promote their district and has been very successful, to the unhappiness of neighboring districts.

So, you make the call. Should the "cap" of 10% be allowed to expire allowing districts to be forced to merge if enrollment falls dramatically? You make the call.