Breaking down Public School District Lines: Policies, Perceptions, and Implications of Inter-District Open Enrollment

N

68

Public Schools; School Districts; Educational Policy; Open Enrollment; School Choice; Transfer Students; Enrollment Trends; Transfer Policy; Administrator Attitudes; Access to Education; State Policy; Public Opinion; Educational Experience

Arizona; Florida; Indiana; Ohio

Open enrollment is a form of school choice that gives families the opportunity to choose an educational setting or school within the public school system that is best for their children. In U.S. public school districts, students typically must attend the school that is in their neighborhood and often do not have a choice of attending a different school if there is not an open enrollment option. Open enrollment options, however, vary by state and region. Open enrollment can be either intra-district or inter-district. "Intra-district open enrollment" allows students to transfer to another school within their resident district. "Inter-district open enrollment" allows students to transfer to another public school district, even if they live outside the choice district's attendance boundaries. This paper will describe trends in elementary and secondary enrollment and financing and how those trends interact with open enrollment in the US. Then it describes the open enrollment landscape at both the state and district level. It then reviews the available literature on the participation and impact these policies have on students and school systems, followed by detailed case studies of inter-district choice programs in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio to understand and gain insight on the processes and perceptions of administrators in the state. Finally, policy implications for improving access to and the impact of opening district boundaries will be summarized.

ERIC

2023

ED628507