Section 1. {Purpose.} The Purpose of this Act is to improve educational achievement and to enhance the opportunity for parental choice in education by providing additional options to pupils in the state to enroll in public schools and educational programs throughout the state without regard to pupil residence.

Section 2. {Establishment.} The state educational agency shall establish an enrollment options program to enable pupils residing in the state to attend any public school or program within the district of residence, or any school or program in a nonresident district within the state without requiring nonresident pupils to pay tuition.[i]

Section 3. {Application procedures.}

(A) The parent or legal guardian of a pupil wishing to attend a nonresident school or program, either within or outside the district of residence, shall submit an application to the nonresident school of choice.[ii]

(B) The parent or legal guardian shall submit the application for a particular school year at a time set and on a form provided by the state educational agency.[iii]

(C) Upon agreement of the resident and nonresident districts, the deadlines in Subsection (B) may be waived.[iv]

Section 4. {Desegregation plan(s).} A school district that has a desegregation plan approved by the State educational agency, by a court, or by the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, may, in accordance with regulations of the state educational agency, limit the number of pupils who transfer into (or out of) the district under this Act if necessary to ensure compliance with the plan.

Section 5. {Basis for decision.}

(A) In implementing the provisions of this Act, no school district shall be required to:

(1) Make alterations in the structure of a requested school or to make alterations to the arrangement or function of rooms within a requested school; or

(2) Establish and offer any particular program in a school if such program is not currently offered in such school; or

(3) Alter or waive any established eligibility criteria for participation in a particular program, including age requirements, course prerequisites, and required levels of performance; or

(4) Enroll any student pursuant to this article in any program or school after [annual enrollment count date].[v]

(B) Any school district may deny any of its resident pupils or any nonresident pupils from other school districts within the state permission to enroll in particular programs or schools only for any of the following reasons:

(1) Lack of space or capacity within a particular program or school requested, in which case, priority shall be given to resident students applying for admission to such program or school.

(2) The school requested does not offer appropriate programs or is not structured or equipped with the necessary facilities to meet special needs of the pupil or does not offer a particular program requested.

(3) The pupil does not meet the established eligibility criteria for participation in a particular program, including age requirements, course prerequisites, and required levels of performance.

(4) A desegregation plan is in effect for the school district, and such denial is necessary in order to enable compliance with such desegregation plan.

(5) The student has been expelled, or is in the process of being expelled, for the reasons specified in [STATUTE CITE][vi]

Section 6. {Notification.} In implementing the provisions of this Act, a school district shall adopt a policy requiring notification of accepted applicants within a reasonable amount of time of the application being submitted.

Section 7. {Interdistrict transportation.} If requested by the parent of a pupil participating in the program under this Act, the nonresident district shall provide transportation within that district. The parent shall be responsible for transporting the child without reimbursement to and from a point on a regular bus route of the receiving district.

Section 8. {Graduation.} A district serving a nonresident pupil under this Act shall accept credits toward graduation that were awarded to that pupil by another district and shall graduate a nonresident pupil if the pupil meets the nonresident district’s own graduation requirements.

Section 9. {Information.} In order to enable a parent to make an informed decision about enrollment options under this Act, each school district that operates a website shall make open enrollment information as easily available to parents as possible by including the following information on the school district’s website:

(A) One or more web pages that summarize school district open enrollment policies and procedures for interdistrict and intradistrict open enrollment into district schools;

(B) Information concerning enrollment into district’s charter and magnet schools, if different than district schools;

(C) Information concerning the eligibility of a student to participate in school activities if the student has transferred from one school to another school, either within the school district or within another school district;[vii]

(D) Information concerning the open enrollment application process, including how and where to obtain an application and when and how notification of acceptance occurs;

(E) Information concerning the student selection process;

(F) Information concerning open enrollment timelines, including how long an enrollment shall remain valid;

(G) Contact information for one or more individuals employed by the school district who are responsible for answering questions from parents concerning the open enrollment process; and

(H) A tab or link on the home page of the school district website that links viewers to open enrollment information, is clearly labeled with language that includes the words “open enrollment” or “school choice,” and is available at all times of the year.

Section 10. {Continuing enrollment.}

(A) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (B) of this section, any pupil who enrolls in a nonresident school or program pursuant to this article may remain enrolled in that school or program through the end of the school year.

(B) This section shall not apply if:

(1) The nonresident pupil is expelled pursuant to statute from the school or program;

(2) The nonresident pupil is excluded from the school or program for any of the reasons described in paragraphs (1) to (4) of subsection (A) of Section 5.

Section 11. {Definitions.} As used in this Act:

(A) The term “school” means a school that is operated or authorized by a public school district or other recognized educational agency, and that provides elementary or secondary education in accordance with state law.

(B) “Parent” means the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian of a dependent child.

Section 12. {Severability clause.}

Section 13. {Repealer clause.}

Section 14. {Effective date.}

Endnotes: