Posted on Dec 26, 2023
Kansas school leaders say the shift to open enrollment next fall won't be simple or easy
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Kansas public school leaders in some high-demand districts say they’re already hearing from families who want to switch schools to take advantage of a new open enrollment law. But the new law won’t be simple, and they’re not ready to just throw open their doors.
WICHITA, Kansas — A new state law that goes into effect next fall lets Kansas students attend schools outside the districts where they live, as long as there is space available.
School leaders in some high-demand districts say they’re already hearing from families who want to enroll. But they say the new law won’t be simple, and they’re not ready to just throw open their doors.
“We were getting calls in July of ’22 saying, ‘Hey, I heard this passed. Sign me up. I’m ready to come,’” said Brett White, superintendent of the Andover school district east of Wichita.
“But there’s lots of behind-the-scenes work going on as we think through those processes,” he said. “It’s a lot to develop, and it’s going to really consume our next few months.”
Kansas lawmakers passed House Bill 2567 last year. It included funding for the state’s K-12 schools as well as controversial policy measures such as the open enrollment provision.
WICHITA, Kansas — A new state law that goes into effect next fall lets Kansas students attend schools outside the districts where they live, as long as there is space available.
School leaders in some high-demand districts say they’re already hearing from families who want to enroll. But they say the new law won’t be simple, and they’re not ready to just throw open their doors.
“We were getting calls in July of ’22 saying, ‘Hey, I heard this passed. Sign me up. I’m ready to come,’” said Brett White, superintendent of the Andover school district east of Wichita.
“But there’s lots of behind-the-scenes work going on as we think through those processes,” he said. “It’s a lot to develop, and it’s going to really consume our next few months.”
Kansas lawmakers passed House Bill 2567 last year. It included funding for the state’s K-12 schools as well as controversial policy measures such as the open enrollment provision.
Kansas school leaders say the shift to open enrollment next fall won't be simple or easy
Posted from kcur.org
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Posted 5 mo ago
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Good afternoon PO1 William "Chip" Nagel. Excellent post. Thank You for sharing this shipmate. :-]
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“That’s when our schools are kind of shut down and counselors aren’t even on duty, so the timing of that whole thing is terrible,” White said.
About 20,000 Kansas students currently attend schools outside the district where they live. Most districts accept at least some special transfers, such as the children of district employees who live outside the district.
The new open enrollment law doesn’t require districts to provide transportation for out-of-district students. And it doesn’t force them to accept any new students if they decide their classrooms are too full.
But White said lawmakers will be watching the numbers and how districts handle out-of-district requests.
“We need to comply with the spirit and the intent of the law, because otherwise, my concern would be the Legislature saying, ‘Hey, we kind of left it up to districts, but … now we’re just going to take that over,’” White said.
Some school officials worry the new law could lead to widespread athletic transfers. The Kansas State High School Activities Association rules say that if a student plays a varsity sport at one school, he or she can’t play that same sport at a different school for a full calendar year.
But officials say that won’t prevent freshmen from applying to a high school based primarily on its sports program."
..."“That’s when our schools are kind of shut down and counselors aren’t even on duty, so the timing of that whole thing is terrible,” White said.
About 20,000 Kansas students currently attend schools outside the district where they live. Most districts accept at least some special transfers, such as the children of district employees who live outside the district.
The new open enrollment law doesn’t require districts to provide transportation for out-of-district students. And it doesn’t force them to accept any new students if they decide their classrooms are too full.
But White said lawmakers will be watching the numbers and how districts handle out-of-district requests.
“We need to comply with the spirit and the intent of the law, because otherwise, my concern would be the Legislature saying, ‘Hey, we kind of left it up to districts, but … now we’re just going to take that over,’” White said.
Some school officials worry the new law could lead to widespread athletic transfers. The Kansas State High School Activities Association rules say that if a student plays a varsity sport at one school, he or she can’t play that same sport at a different school for a full calendar year.
But officials say that won’t prevent freshmen from applying to a high school based primarily on its sports program."
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