The overview
CCISD’s current limited open enrollment program allows students who reside outside of the district’s attendance boundaries to attend CCISD schools, district documents note.
On Dec. 4, the board policy committee discussed possible changes to the district’s open limited enrollment policy, in which anybody who would like to enroll in the district would be able to through the superintendent’s discretion, according to district documents.
The board further discussed revising the policy at its Dec. 9 workshop, in which the current qualifications required to enroll in the district’s limited open enrollment program would be removed.
Currently, guardians that meet at least one of the following qualifications can apply for their students entering grades pre-K through 12th grade to enroll in the limited open enrollment program:
- Non-resident peace officers who live within 10 miles of the district
- Non-resident military service members who live within 10 miles of the district
- Non-resident federal employees who live within 10 miles of the district
- Non-resident grandchildren of grandparents who live within CCISD’s attendance boundaries
- Students of non-resident CCISD employees
There are two sets of criteria that must be met in order to qualify for the open limited enrollment program at CCISD.
The initial set of criteria is based on a student’s previous academic history, attendance and discipline, CCISD’s Chief Communications Officer Elaina Polsen told Community Impact Dec. 12.
If the initial set of criteria is met, the second set of criteria would be the qualifications regarding peace officers, military service members, federal employees and grandparents, Polsen said.
The new policy, which will be considered by the board at its Dec. 16 meeting, would only require potential incoming students to meet the initial set of criteria, Polsen said.
Qualification to the program is also based on space availability, Polsen said.
What they said
Ahead of consideration, board trustee Scott Bowen said he is in support of the potential new policy, as he said it could help the district’s enrollment.
“My concern is that it’s a self-fulfilling cycle where maybe we get a few years down this demographic road and our schools feel emptier than they ever have, and people start leaving because they want something better, and we see even more people transfer out,” Bowen said at the workshop. “If we’re going to stop that, we have to act quickly and we have to act deliberately.”
Board trustee Jeff Larson said he is also in support of the potential new policy since the policy will allow the district to manage the students who are enrolled, while also addressing declining enrollment challenges.
“It’s really not as scary as it could be, simply because we have the discretion to move forward at the pace that is right for us,” he said. “This doesn’t obligate us to take anybody tomorrow, the next day, the next month or next year.”
Board President Arturo Sanchez said he is unsure of the turnout of the potential new policy and how the turnout could affect enrollment.
“I don’t know that it brings the windfall that I wish we could count on,” Sanchez said. “It definitely gives the potential for some increase, which is different than the position we’re in today. I don’t know what that means for our story three years from now, or five years from now.”
