School District Enrollment Option Act
As defined in Section 162.1042, RSMo, the "Enrollment Option Plan" is a cooperative agreement whereby two school districts establish a cooperative agreement to send or receive, or send and receive, each other’s students. The enrollment plan must be agreed to by all of the participating districts.
The agreement should specify whether a student’s acceptance by the receiving district constitutes acceptance of the student for the remainder of the student’s schooling through grade twelve or only for a set term of enrollment. The agreement should also define whether a student’s withdrawal from the receiving school district terminates the acceptance.
Section 162.1049, RSMo, provides that the nonresident district and resident district shall accept each other’s credit. A nonresident district shall accept all credits toward promotion or graduation awarded by a district of residence. If a student returns to the student’s district of residence prior to graduation, the district of residence shall accept all credits issued by an enrollment option district.
- Any contract or agreement entered into by school districts must be in writing and executed by the President and Secretary of the Board (432.070).
- Nothing under the Elementary and Secondary School District Enrollment Option Act shall apply to any school district in a county of the first classification having a charter form of government, nor to any school district within the city of St. Louis (162.1040).
Student Participation
A district may reject applications for students who live more than ten miles from the receiving district or who live closer to the school building in their sending district which they would attend than the building in the receiving district which they would attend if accepted by the receiving district. If this limitation is to be used as a criteria for acceptance, it should be specified in the agreement and referenced in any materials distributed to students and their parents (162.1052).
- No enrollment option plan may be designed to include or exclude a nonresident pupil solely based upon academic ability, or any level of athletic, artistic, or other extracurricular skills, disability, or degree of proficiency in the English language (162.1045).
- Section 162.1045 (2), RSMo, provides that no enrollment option plan may be designed to include or exclude a non resident pupil solely based on the fact that the student has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings, except that if an applicant has been suspended or expelled for ten consecutive days or more in the term for which admission is sought or in the term immediately preceding the term for which admission is sought, the procedures may include a provision denying admission of such applicant as a nonresident student. If this limitation is to be used as a criteria for acceptance, it should be specified in the agreement and referenced in any materials distributed to students and their parents.
- Section 162.1045 (2)(b), RSMo, provides that resident students shall have preference over nonresident pupils until such time that the nonresident becomes a ‘resident pupil’ for state aid purposes by admission to a school district. This preference should be specified in the agreement and referenced in any materials distributed to students and their parents. After acceptance, a student admitted under an agreement pursuant to the Act shall be treated as a resident student without exception.
- It is suggested that the agreement open each school district to any eligible as long as the number of students from this or other sending districts does not exceed the capacity or limit guidelines established. The capacity of each building, course, class section, grade level, program or limits on individual teacher-student contact hours shall be established by each district before entering into this agreement. The capacities and limits should become an addendum to this document. In cases where the capacity or limit would be exceeded, it is suggested that acceptance be by a "blind" drawing until the limited number of students have been admitted.
Application Process
The application should contain the applicant’s name, address, home telephone number, parent or guardian’s name, home school district, age, and grade level. A student’s transcript should also be attached to the application.
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It is suggested that the sending school district set an application deadline of on or before April 1 prior to the year of enrollment. Both the sending and receiving districts should receive a copy of the application. The superintendent of schools of the receiving district may be authorized by the board of education as the acting agent on behalf of the district to grant or reject acceptance.
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It is suggested that each application contain a certification of the student, that he or she has not been solicited by the receiving district, and that he or she understands that such solicitation voids the acceptance and would require that the student be returned to the sending district.
- It is suggested that the agreement open each school district to any eligible as long as the number of students from this or other sending districts does not exceed the capacity or limit guidelines established. The capacity of each building, course, class section, grade level, program or limits on individual teacher-student contact hours shall be established by each district before entering into this agreement. The capacities and limits should become an addendum to this document. In cases where the capacity or limit would be exceeded, it is suggested that acceptance be by a "blind" drawing until the limited number of students have been admitted.
- The enrollment option plan shall specify all standards used for acceptance or rejection of an application. If an application is rejected, the receiving district shall provide notice to the sending district (district of domicile) and to the parent. That notice states in the notification the reason for the rejection. If an application is accepted, the receiving district shall provide notice of the acceptance to the sending district (district of domicile) and to the parent.
State Statutes
- Citation of law--not applicable to certain districts -162.1040
- Definitions -162.1042
- State board of education to develop guidelines for enrollment option plan -162.1045
- Nonresident district and resident district to accept each other's credits -162.1049
- Rejection of admission of a nonresident by nonresident district, when -162.1052
- Contracts, execution of by counties, towns--form of contract - 432.070