Board denies an open-enrollment request citing insufficient special-education capacity

The Sioux City Community School District board on Sept. 8 denied a district-to-district open-enrollment request for a student identified in board materials as Student A, citing insufficient class space in special-education programs. Superintendent's explanation: Dr. Juan Cordova told the board he receives many transfer requests and that the district’s special-education numbers and staffing are “incredibly tight.” Dr. Cordova said staff are actively searching for special-education teachers but that current capacity at the requested location is insufficient, which led to the denial. Board action and vote: The motion to deny the open-enrollment request passed 5-1 after a short discussion; the clerk recorded one dissenting vote. The board referenced district policy code 501.6-a (district-to-district open enrollment) as the governing policy for such denials. Discussion versus action: Board members did not indicate an override of the staff recommendation. The denial was presented as capacity-driven and not a comment on the student’s needs or merits of the request. Next steps: No procedural appeal or follow-up action was specified at the meeting; families and their representatives typically may pursue state-level open-enrollment appeals under state law, but no board guidance on appeals was given during the meeting. Ending: The board moved to adjourn after the vote.