Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Public Instruction
Chapter PI 36 - Public School Inter-District Open Enrollment
Subchapter III - Full-time Open Enrollment
Section PI 36.06 - Application and notification procedures

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง PI 36.06

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) SUBMISSION.

(a) The parent of a pupil who wishes to attend a public school in a nonresident school district shall do one of the following:
1. Submit an application to the nonresident school board during the regular application period. In order to be considered by the nonresident school board, the application shall be received by the nonresident school district no earlier than the first day of the regular application period and no later than 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the regular application period.

2. Submit an application to the nonresident school board under the alternative application procedure. An alternative application may be submitted no earlier than July 1 and no later than the last day of the school term during which the pupil will first attend.

(b) The parent shall submit a separate application to the board of each nonresident school district to which the pupil is applying. The parent may submit applications, including alternative applications, to no more than 3 nonresident school boards for any pupil in any school year. The parent is prohibited from submitting more than one application for any pupil to the same nonresident school board for the same school year if the parent's initial application has been denied. Pursuant to s. 118.51(3) (a) 1d. and (3m) (a), Stats., applications to virtual charter schools do not count toward the three nonresident school board limit under this paragraph.

(c) The parent shall answer all applicable questions on the application completely and accurately. If the application submitted by the parent is incomplete, the nonresident or resident school board may request the missing information. Except as provided under s. PI 36.12, the nonresident school board may not request from the parent or the resident school board any information that is not required to be provided on the application form.

(2) RECORDS.

(a) By the date specified in par. (b), the resident school board shall provide the records described in s. PI 36.12(1) (a) or shall notify the nonresident school board if any of the following apply:
1. The pupil has not been found to be a child with a disability and the child has been neither referred to the resident school board under s. 115.777(1), Stats., nor identified by the resident school board under s. 115.77(1m) (a), Stats.

2. The pupil has not been expelled and does not have a pending disciplinary proceeding.

3. The pupil does not attend school in the resident school district named on the application and the resident school district does not have any records for the pupil.

(b) The notifications in par. (a) shall be made by the following dates:
1. The date specified in s. 118.51(3) (a) 1m. and (8), Stats., for applications submitted during the regular application period.

2. Within 10 calendar days of receiving a copy of an application submitted under the alternative application procedure.

(c) If the pupil is not attending the resident school district named on the application, the nonresident school board may request, and the school or school district of attendance may provide, any of the records or information from a public school the pupil attends that would otherwise be provided by the resident school district if the pupil were attending the resident school district.

(3) APPLICATION.

(a) A nonresident or resident school board shall provide an application to a parent or pupil upon request.

(b) Except as provided in par. (d), the grade level on an application submitted during the regular application period shall be the grade immediately following the grade the pupil is enrolled in at the time of application and the grade level for an application submitted under the alternative application procedure shall be the pupil's grade in the current school year. If the pupil is not enrolled in school at the time of application, the parent shall indicate the appropriate grade for the child's age. Except as provided in par. (c), if the application is approved and, upon the pupil's enrollment in school, the nonresident school board determines that the pupil should be placed in a different grade, the nonresident school board shall permit the pupil to attend the nonresident school district in the appropriate grade.

(c) If the nonresident school board approves an application that indicates a grade other than the grade specified in par. (b), the nonresident school board is not required to permit the pupil to attend the grade specified in par. (b) if any of the following apply:
1. The nonresident school board denied applicants for that grade.

2. The nonresident school district no longer has space in that grade.

3. The nonresident school board determines that the grade indicated on the application is not appropriate for the pupil.

(d)
1. A parent may request early admission to 4-year-old or 5-year-old kindergarten for a pupil who does not meet the age requirement under s. 118.14(1), Stats. A nonresident school board may evaluate the pupil in accordance with its policy developed under s. 120.12(25), Stats.

2. If the nonresident school board determines the pupil is eligible for early admission to 5-year-old kindergarten, the nonresident school board may approve the application and assign the pupil to 5-year-old kindergarten. If the nonresident school board refuses to evaluate the pupil or if the pupil is evaluated and found not eligible for early admission to 5-year-old kindergarten, the pupil may attend 4-year-old kindergarten in the nonresident school district only as provided under s. 118.51(2), Stats.

3. If the nonresident school board determines that the pupil is eligible for early admission to 4-year-old kindergarten, the pupil may attend the nonresident school district for 4-year-old kindergarten only if the pupil is evaluated and found eligible for early admission by the pupil's resident school board, in accordance with the resident school board's policy under s. 120.12(25), Stats.

(e) The application shall indicate the resident school district in which the pupil will reside on the 3rd Friday in September in the first school term in which the pupil first wishes to attend the nonresident school district. If the resident school district named on the application changes, the parent shall notify the nonresident school board.

(f) If the application is approved by the nonresident school board, the parent shall notify the nonresident school board, on or before the parental notification date, whether the pupil will attend school in the nonresident school district. If the parent does not notify the board by the parental notification date that the pupil will attend the nonresident school district, the nonresident school board may determine that the pupil may not attend the nonresident school district and, if applicable, it may offer the pupil's space to the next pupil on the waiting list.

(4) NOTICES.

(a)
1. If the nonresident school board does not make timely notification as required in s. 118.51(3) (a)3, Stats., an application submitted under the regular application procedure shall be considered approved by the nonresident school board.

2. If the nonresident school board has not notified the parent on or before the 20th calendar day after an alternative application was submitted that the application is approved, the application shall be considered denied by the nonresident school board.

(b)
1. If the resident school board has not notified the parent on or before the date specified in s. 118.51(3) (a)4, Stats., that an application submitted during the regular application period has been denied, the application shall be considered approved.

2. If the resident school board has not notified the parent that an alternative application is denied on or before the 20th calendar day after the application was submitted, the application shall be considered approved by the resident school board.

(c) If an application is denied by a nonresident or resident school board, or a parent is notified that a pupil is required to return to the resident school district under s. 118.51(11) or (12), Stats., the notice of denial shall include the following:
1. The reason for the denial.

2. Notice of the parent's right to file an appeal with the state superintendent under s. 118.51(9), Stats., within 30 calendar days of the date the notice of denial is postmarked or personally delivered to the parent, whichever occurs first. The notice shall also include the following:
a. The department's address to which the appeal shall be sent.

b. Where the parent may obtain a form to file an appeal.

Note: PI 9418, Form for Filing an Open Enrollment Appeal, may be obtained free of charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI or by contacting the department at 888-245-2732 or openenrollment@dpi.wi.gov or from the department's web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment/appeals.

c. Any other information specified by the department.

3. If the application was denied by the nonresident school board because space is not available in regular or special education, the pupil's number on any waiting list, if applicable.

(d) If the nonresident school board has adopted a policy requiring reapplication under s. 118.51(3) (c)1, Stats., the board shall notify the parent of the reapplication requirement prior to the beginning of the regular application period in which the pupil is required to reapply.

(5) NONRESIDENT SCHOOL BOARD.

(a) At the January board meeting, the nonresident school board shall designate the number of regular education spaces, by grade, and the number of special education spaces, by program or services, in the district using the criteria specified in its policy under s. PI 36.04(2).

(b) The nonresident school board may not, on or after the first Monday in February, reduce the number of spaces designated under par. (a).

(c) Prior to the date specified in s. 118.51(3) (a)3, Stats., the nonresident school board may not approve more applications submitted during the regular application period than the number of spaces it designated under par. (a), except that a nonresident school board may approve additional applications for pupils who are guaranteed approval.

(d) After the date specified in s. 118.51(3) (a)3, Stats., the nonresident school board may approve applications it had initially denied if any of the following cause spaces to become available:
1. A parent notifies the nonresident school board that the pupil will not attend the nonresident school district.

2. A parent fails to provide the notification required in s. 118.51(3) (a)6, Stats.

3. The school board determines that additional spaces have become available since its determination at the January board meeting.

(e) Applications approved under par. (d) shall be approved as follows:
1. The nonresident school board shall first approve pupils from the waiting list.

2. Subject to s. PI 36.04(7), if the nonresident school board has offered spaces to all pupils on the waiting list, the nonresident school board may approve alternative applications.

(f) The nonresident school board shall deny any application received after 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the regular application period.

(6) RESIDENT SCHOOL BOARD. A resident school board may not act on any application submitted to the nonresident school board pursuant to the nonresident school board's requirement to reapply under s. 118.51(3) (c)1, Stats.

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