Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Public School Open Enrollment Technical Assistance Workshops Prekindergarten; 4-Year-Old Kindergarten; & Early Childhood Education Early Admission

Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Prekindergarten Four-Year-Old Kindergarten Early Childhood Education

Public School Open Enrollment January 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 pupil’s 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 § (2)

Public School Open Enrollment January 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

Public School Open Enrollment January 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

Public School Open Enrollment January  How/when to determine “same type of program” prior to application period í districts exchange written information about program upon receipt of application í nonresident district initiate review with resident district

Public School Open Enrollment January Tuition Waivers  The “same type of program” criterion does not apply to tuition waivers.

Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Early Admission & Open Enrollment

Public School Open Enrollment January Age Eligibility  Except as provided in s (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 1 st grade unless he or she is 6 years old… Wisconsin Statutes §

Public School Open Enrollment January 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 § (25)

Public School Open Enrollment January 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.

Public School Open Enrollment January  …However, if the nonresident district is willing to evaluate the child for early admission it may do so.  If the nonresident district’s scheduled evaluation date is later than the deadline for approving or denying open enrollment applications…

Public School Open Enrollment January  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.

Public School Open Enrollment January  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.

Public School Open Enrollment January Resources  Early Childhood Home Page  DPI Policy and Information Advisory 02.1 Four-Year-Old Kindergarten

Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Mary Jo Cleaver Public School Open Enrollment Consultant Department of Public Instruction P.O. Box 7841 Madison, WI or toll free at

Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Open Enrollment Internet Web Site Open Enrollment List Serv to sign up, send to:

Public School Open Enrollment January 2003 Other DPI Open Enrollment Staff Scott Eagleburger Open Enrollment Data Manager Joan Thompson Open Enrollment Program Assistant Bob Soldner Director, School Management Services