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602.6

Open Enrollment Applications

Open enrollment is the procedure allowing a parent/guardian to enroll a child in a public-school district other than the district of residence at no tuition cost. The “resident district” is the district of residence for school purposes of the parent/guardian and the district in which an open enrollment pupil will be counted for the purpose of generating state aid regardless of the District in which the pupil is enrolled. The “receiving district” is the non-resident public school district in which a parent/guardian desires to have the pupil enrolled. A parent/guardian residing in a school district may apply to enroll the parent’s or guardian’s child in a public school in another school district in accordance with the prescribed deadlines and procedures. The deadline for Open Enrollment applications is March 1st of the year preceding the school year for which the open enrollment is sought for students entering grades 1-12 and September 1st for students entering preschool special education or kindergarten.

Free transportation will not be provided to students who enter the District, unless such transportation is required by law. The District maintains the right to assign an open enrolled student to a particular school. Athletic restrictions may apply in some instances.

Requests to open enroll a child requiring special education will only be granted if the receiving district maintains a special education instructional program which is appropriate to meet the child’s educational needs, and enrollment of the child in the receiving district’s program would not exceed the maximum class size in rule adopted by the State Board of Education for that program.

A parent/guardian may appeal the decision of the Board of Education of a school district (resident or receiving) on any matter related to open enrollment pursuant to Iowa law.

Legal Reference:                 Iowa Code §§ 282.18
I.A.C. 17

  • Reviewed: 06-12-89
  • Approved: 06-26-89
  • Revised: 11-12-90
  • Revised:  04-05-93, 04-14-97
  • Reviewed: 11-23-98
  • Revised:  09-10-01, 03-24-08, 01-13-14, 12-10-18, 04-25-2022
  • Documents: 602.6
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