The school district will participate in open enrollment as a sending district. As a sending district, the board will allow resident students who meet the requirements to open enroll to another public school district.
Parents requesting open enrollment out of the school district for their student will notify the sending and receiving school district in accordance with district practice. The notice is made on forms provided by the Iowa Department of Education. The forms are available at the central administration office.
Parents of children who will begin kindergarten and prekindergarten children enrolled in special education programs and included in the district’s basic enrollment will file in the same manner set forth above.
The receiving district will approve open enrollment requests according to the timelines established by law. The parents may withdraw the open enrollment request prior to the board’s approval of the application. The receiving district’s superintendent will notify the parents and sending school district by mail within five days of the school district’s action to approve or deny the open enrollment request.
The board will not approve a student's request to allow the receiving district to enter the school district for the purposes of transportation.
An open enrollment request out of the school district from parents of a special education student is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The determining factor for approval of such an open enrollment request will be whether the special education program available in the receiving school district is appropriate for the student's needs. The area education agency director of special education serving the receiving district will determine whether the program is appropriate. The special education student will remain in the school district until the final determination is made.
It is the responsibility of the superintendent to maintain open enrollment request applications and notice forms. It will also be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop appropriate office procedures and administrative regulations necessary for open enrollment requests.
NOTE: This policy reflects Iowa's open enrollment law. The option addresses the issue of transportation of open enrolled students. The board needs to establish by policy whether it will or will not allow a receiving district to enter the district to pick up open enrolled students. This option is on the bottom of the first page of this policy.
NOTE: Because open enrollment requests can now occur throughout the year, there is no established date by which districts must make or communicate a decision. Receiving districts should make the decision whether to approve or deny the request as timely as is practical. Receiving districts should in turn make and communicate any determinations as soon as is practical.
Legal Reference:
Iowa Code §§ 139A.8; 274.1; 279.11; 282.1, .3, .8, .18; 299.1.
281 I.A.C. 17.
Cross Reference:
501.15 Open Enrollment Transfers - Procedures as a Receiving District
Approved: 02/10/1997 Reviewed: 02/12/2024 Revised: 02/12/2024