Sen. Howard Marklein's Weekly E-Update

Wisconsin families are currently in the midst of the public school open enrollment period for the 2016-2017 school year. This program has a major impact on the finances of many school districts in our communities by allowing families to choose among the public schools in their area.

The open enrollment program is an inter-district program that allows parents to enroll their children in a public school district other than the one in which they reside. First established for the 1998-99 school year, the open enrollment program allows any student from 4k to grade 12 to apply to a nonresident school district via an application process coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Statewide, 53,188 students enrolled in public schools other than their resident school district during the 2014-2015 school year. This accounted for $289.6 million transferred between public schools. In the 17th Senate District, 1,966 students enrolled in public school districts other than their resident district. As a result, approximately $1.3 million was transferred to other public school districts.

During the application process, both the resident and nonresident school districts can deny the application for a student to open enroll based on a number of factors, including: availability of space in the school, the transferring student’s disciplinary record, or student-teacher ratios. If the request is denied, there is an appeals process with the DPI, but the department is required to affirm the decision of the local district unless they find it was arbitrary or unreasonable.

If the student’s application is accepted, the student is enrolled in the school of their choice, the resident school district transfers a set amount of funds to the chosen school district and the parents are responsible for transportation to and from school.

The open enrollment funding formula is where the major financial impact to school districts is realized.

On one hand, the resident school district does not lose the student in their count for enrollment numbers. The pupil enrollment number is the largest factor that determines the size of a school district’s budget.

On the other hand, however, the resident district must transfer funds to the nonresident district for each student who is enrolled in another district during open enrollment. For the 2014-15 school year, the state determined amount was $6,635 per student. The 2015-16 amount is $6,639.

While the students and funds transferred to another district do not impact the amount of the overall school district’s budget, it does impact the bottom-line of the school district’s budget because they have to “cut-a-check” to another district for $6,639 per student who transfers to another district.

For example, if a student resides in School District A but has successfully applied to attend School District B, School District A can count this student in its pupil membership for its revenue limit and general aid. However, School District A would then send $6,639 to School District B for taking the additional student.

For School District A, the amount that needs to be transferred for each student to School District B is resources and funds they cannot spend in their own budget. In other words, the payment to School District B for taking these students is an expense for School District A. School District A cannot levy additional property taxes to make up the difference. School District B, which is receiving additional revenue, can use these resources outside of their revenue limit to increase their own budget.

Following is the most recent data below showing individual school districts in the 17th Senate District and the number of students that have transferred into and out of those districts. Our local schools are important to the success of our communities. As I mentioned before, because enrollment is one of the largest factors that impacts the size of our local school budgets, I will continue to monitor the movement of students in our local school districts.

School District	2014-15 Membership	Transfers In	Transfers Out	Net	Net %
Argyle	347	16	44	-28	-8.0%
Belmont	358	32	37	-5	-1.4
Benton	245	36	30	6	2.4
Black Hawk	389	28	51	-23	-5.9
Boscobel	813	37	47	-10	-1.2
Cassville	217	8	28	-20	-9.2
Cuba City	664	76	67	9	1.3
Darlington	782	44	51	-7	-0.1
Dodgeville	1,290	57	87	-30	-2.3
Fennimore	776	38	26	12	1.5
Highland	284	29	12	17	6.0
Hillsboro	503	48	25	23	4.6
Iowa-Grant	754	33	52	-19	-2.5
Ithaca	318	98	32	66	20.7
Lancaster	938	33	34	-1	0.0
Mauston	1,477	94	89	5	0.0
Mineral Point	721	60	51	9	1.2
Monroe	2,573	101	151	-50	-1.9
Necedah	709	35	67	-32	-4.5
New Lisbon	618	121	69	52	8.4
Pecatonica	452	25	56	-31	-6.8
Platteville	1,496	67	53	14	0.1
Potosi	338	31	22	9	2.7
Reedsburg	2,670	91	159	-68	-2.5
Richland	1,423	71	145	-74	-5.2
River Ridge	530	27	40	-13	-2.4
River Valley	1,348	44	108	-64	-4.7
Riverdale	725	17	77	-60	-8.3
Royall	622	31	83	-52	-8.4
Shullsburg	392	25	30	-5	-1.3
Southwestern	572	25	50	-25	-4.4
Weston	312	21	22	-1	0.0
Wonewoc-Union Center	373	42	71	-29	-7.8

There are many reasons parents cite for moving their student to another school district. Some families choose to enroll their child in another district for academic, athletic and geographic reasons. Others are seeking additional extra-curricular opportunities. Whatever the reasons may be, open enrollment may play a major part in the financial situation for a school district.

The regular open enrollment application period for the 2016-17 school year runs from February 1 until April 29, 2016. For more information and the application, please visit the DPI’s website: http://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment.

For more information and to connect with me, visit my website http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/17/marklein and subscribe to my weekly E-Update by sending an email to Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. Do not hesitate to call 800-978-8008 if you have input, ideas or need assistance with any state-related matters.