The board of trustees directed RISD staff to move forward with changes to the inter-district transfer, also called open enrollment, policy during the Feb. 20 meeting.
Currently, RISD allows transfers under certain circumstances, such as when a parent works for the district or cases when a student moves out of the district during the school year.
The overview
The Community Budget Steering Committee recommended expanding the district’s open enrollment policy, which was first reviewed at the January board meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Matthew Gibbons said.
Inter-district transfer applicants will have a window of about one month to apply, according to the district presentation and will be screened by attendance, academic performance, STAAR test results and discipline records. Placement will be based on capacity, staffing and program availability with priority given to students residing within RISD’s boundaries.
Additionally, the district will not provide transportation and enrollment may be revoked if the student has disciplinary issues, poor attendance or doesn’t meet admission standards.
Also of note
To monitor enrollment and ensure policy effectiveness, a review committee will be created to analyze trends and neighbor school stability.
Additionally, the district will limit the number of total enrollees, Gibbons said.
“We don't want it to be a financial strain for the district,” Gibbons said. “We want to look at our entry requirements and ensure they are rigorous enough to allow the students we want and who want to be here.”
Gibbons said the policy would provide flexibility for families seeking specialized programs and allow RISD to remain consistent with nearby districts that offer open enrollment.
Why now?
Gibbons cited "financial prudence” as the reason for the expansion as the district is facing declining enrollment and budget deficits.
Several factors, such as lower mobility, declining birthrates and a lack of new single-family developments in the district’s boundary have contributed to shrinking enrollment numbers.
