Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 10:16 AM To – District Administrators and Open Enrollment Coordinators From – Mary Jo Cleaver, Open Enrollment Consultant Subject – Important Information about Resident District Changes Date – August 31, 2011 As you go through the enrollment process for this school year, you are finding that a number of students have moved over the summer, in some cases to different resident school districts. Following are instructions for changing the resident district of an open enrolled student: 1. Student was open enrolled in the 2010-11 school year and moves to a different resident district prior to the third Friday in September (September 16). If a continuing open enrolled student moves to a different resident district prior to September 16, 2011, the change is effective in the current (2011-12 school year). Only DPI can change a resident district that is effective in the current school year. You (probably the nonresident district) must send a request to either me or Merry Larsen. We will make the change and notify all three districts involved. The “old” resident district must then approve the change, at which time the student will appear in the transfer out list for the “new” resident district. The “new” resident district should require the parent to register in the district to verify the student’s residence in the district. (You should not collect fees or require immunization or emergency contact information.) The nonresident district should enter the new address in OPAL. You do this using the Change Parents/Addr tab. Please note: every time a resident district changes, OPAL sends an email confirming the change. However, the OPAL email assumes that the change will be effective in the 2012-13 school year. Therefore, please ignore the OPAL-generated email that confirms a resident district change that is effective in the current school year. My or Merry’s email to you will explain the change. 2. Student applied for open enrollment in February 2011 and has since moved to a resident district other than the one indicated on the application form. Under the administrative rules, a student must be residing in the resident district named on the application form on the third Friday in September, or the open enrollment is void. However, if the “new” resident district agrees to allow the open enrollment, we will allow it. If you have a student in this situation, you should send an email to me or Merry and also to the “new” resident district. Explain the situation and ask if the resident district will allow the open enrollment. If you are the resident district receiving this request, you can request a copy of the student’s application. Please let us know, as soon as possible, if you will allow the open enrollment (or not). If you agree to do so, DPI will change the resident district effective this school year, using the procedures described in item 1 above. 3. New or continuing open enrollment students moves to a different resident district after the third Friday in September. If an open enrolled student moves to a different resident district after the third Friday in September, the district in which the student resided on the third Friday in September remains the student’s open enrollment resident district for the entire school year. This district will continue to count the student for the entire school year and will pay for the open enrollment for the entire school year. This applies to both regular and special education students. In this case, the nonresident district should go into the Change Enrollment tab and change the resident district for “next” year—meaning the 2012-13 school year. The “old” resident district must approve the change. An email will be sent to the “new” resident district explaining the change. However, nothing will else will happen in OPAL at that time. When OPAL rolls over for the next school year, the student will appear in the transfer out list for the “new” resident district. 4. Student moves into the nonresident district. If the student moves into the nonresident district, the student is no longer open enrolled. Do not, under any circumstances, change the resident district for the student—either for the current year or the following year. If the student moves into the nonresident district prior to the third Friday in September, the nonresident district must report the student as not open enrolled. Use the third Friday list to do this. Nothing more needs to be done. Do not “withdraw” the student or change the resident district for the student. If the student moves into the nonresident district after the third Friday in September, the nonresident district must withdraw the student in OPAL, using the Withdraw Student tab. Enter the date of withdrawal (the last day of attendance), the number of days open enrolled and the reason for withdrawal. Do not enter any change of resident district. If you have any questions about changing a student’s resident school district, please contact me or Merry Larsen (merry.larsen@dpi.wi.gov) or 608-266-2146. Mary Jo Cleaver Public School Open Enrollment Consultant Department of Public Instruction 608-267-9101 or toll-free 888-245-2732 fax: 608-267-9207 email: maryjo.cleaver@dpi.wi.gov website: http://dpi.wi.gov/sms/psctoc.html