Public School Open Enrollment Technical Assistance Workshops

1
Public School Open Enrollment Technical
Assistance Workshops

• Prekindergarten 4-Year-Old Kindergarten
• Early Childhood Education
• Early Admission

2
PrekindergartenFour-Year-Old KindergartenEarly
Childhood Education
3
Open Enrollment Applicability

• A pupil may attend a public school,
• including a prekindergarten, 4-year-old
  kindergarten, early childhood or school-operated
  day care program in a nonresident school
  district
• only if the pupils resident district offers the
  same type of program
• and the pupil is eligible to attend that program
  in his or her resident district.

Wisconsin Statutes 118.51 (2)
4
Early Childhood Education

• The requirements of the IEP determine whether it
  is the same type of program and whether the child
  is eligible
• 2-year-olds may apply and may be approved by both
  districts, however
• lack of evaluation and/or lack of IEP are valid
  reasons for denial by non-resident district
• when the IEP is developed, continued attendance
  is subject to space and undue financial burden

5
Prekindergarten 4K

• Compare funding
• If students in both programs can be counted for
  state aid revenue limits, programs are same
  type of program
• If neither program can count students or if
  funding not equal, then compare
• Hours of instruction
• Areas of instruction
• Certification of teachers
• Target population

6

• How/when to determine same type of program
• prior to application period
• districts exchange written information about
  program
• upon receipt of application
• nonresident district initiate review with
  resident district

7
Tuition Waivers

• The same type of program criterion does not
  apply to tuition waivers.

8
Early Admission Open Enrollment
9
Age Eligibility

• Except as provided in s. 120.12 (25)
• No child may be admitted to a 4-year-old
  kindergarten unless he or she is 4 years old on
  or before September 1 in the year that he or she
  proposes to enter school.
• No child may be admitted to a 5-year-old
  kindergarten unless he or she is 5 years old
• No child may be admitted to the 1st grade unless
  he or she is 6 years old

Wisconsin Statutes 118.14
10
Early Admission

• The school board of a common or union school
  district shall
• Prescribe procedures, conditions and standards
  for early admission to kindergarten and first
  grade.

Wisconsin Statutes 120.12 (25)
11
Early Admission Open Enrollment

• The nonresident school district may deny open
  enrollment for a child who does not meet the age
  requirements for admission to kindergarten

Note Once a child is open enrolled in a
nonresident district, the child is entitled to
the same rights responsibilities as resident
students and must be permitted to apply for any
programs the district offers on the same basis as
resident students. However, as an applicant, the
rights responsibilities does not yet apply to
the child and thus, the district is not obligated
to evaluate an applicant for early admission.
12

• However, if the nonresident district is willing
  to evaluate the child for early admission it may
  do so.
• If the nonresident districts scheduled
  evaluation date is later than the deadline for
  approving or denying open enrollment applications

13

• The district may wish to ask parents to sign a
  statement agreeing that if the student is
  approved, the approval is contingent upon the
  child being found eligible for early admission,
• The district should approve or deny the
  application based on space, and
• If approved, should attach a letter explaining
  the contingency.

14

• If the child is approved by the nonresident
  district and found eligible for early admission,
  the child may attend under open enrollment and
  the resident district may not deny the open
  enrollment.
• If the child is approved and found not eligible
  for early admission, the child may not be
  accepted for the earlier grade (i.e. 4K) unless
  statutory criteria for acceptance are met.

15
Resources

• Early Childhood Home Page
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dltcl/bbfcsp/echildhm.html
  
• DPI Policy and Information Advisory 02.1
  Four-Year-Old Kindergarten
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/pb/pdf/advis3.pdf

16

• Mary Jo Cleaver
• Public School Open Enrollment Consultant
• Department of Public Instruction
• P.O. Box 7841
• Madison, WI 53707-7841
• 608-267-9101 or toll free at 888-245-2732
• email maryjo.cleaver_at_dpi.state.wi.us

17

• Open Enrollment Internet Web Site
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dfm/sms/psctoc.html
• Open Enrollment List Serv
• to sign up, send email to
• L.scott.eagleburger_at_dpi.state.wi.us

18
Other DPI Open Enrollment Staff Scott
Eagleburger Open Enrollment Data
Manager 608-264-9444 L.scott.eagleburger_at_dpi.state
.wi.us Joan Thompson Open Enrollment Program
Assistant 608-267-9248 joan.thompson_at_dpi.state.wi.
us Bob Soldner Director, School Management
Services 608-266-7475 robert.soldner_at_dpi.state.wi.
us