Code No. 501.14

OPEN ENROLLMENT TRANSFERS - PROCEDURES AS A SENDING DISTRICT

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 no later than March 1 in the school year preceding the first year desired for open enrollment.  The notice is made on forms provided by the Department of Education.  The forms are available at the central administration office.

Parents of children who will begin kindergarten in the school district are exempt from the open enrollment March 1 deadline.  Parents of children who will begin kindergarten will file in the same manner set forth above by September 1.  Parents who have good cause as defined by law for failing to meet the March 1 deadline may make an open enrollment request by September 1 unless another deadline applies.

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 start of the school year.  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.

Legal Reference:	Iowa Code §§ 139A.8; 274.1; 279.11; 282.1, .3, .8, .18; 299.1 (2013).
			281 I.A.C. 17.
			1990 Op.  Att'y Gen. 75.

Cross Reference:	501	Student Attendance
506	Student Records

Approved  10/13/03               			Reviewed   4/16/14       			Revised  3/20/19