Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Enrollment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board declines caps on open enrollment for 2025–26 but sets RISE program exception
Summary
After discussion about space calculations and legal consequences of capping open enrollment, the board voted to place no caps on regular open enrollment spaces for 2025–26; the RISE special-education program was capped at zero seats.
The Elkhorn Area School District board on Jan. 27 voted to place no caps on open enrollment spaces for regular education students for the 2025–26 school year, while excluding seats for one special-education placement program, RISE, which will be capped at zero.
District staff presented a January snapshot of projected seat availability by grade and explained the district’s class-size policy and how the per-grade projections drive next year’s space calculation. Board members questioned the math behind the chart, and staff walked through the logic: the January enrollment snapshot is used to project each cohort as it moves up a grade; for example, a higher number in fourth grade may reflect third-grade counts moving forward under the district’s rules on class sizes and sections. Staff noted the RISE program at Westside is a specialized program and recommended that no open-enrollment spaces be approved for that program for 2025–26.
Board members also discussed the legal and administrative consequences of imposing caps. District staff explained that state law requires the district to set caps in January if it intends to limit alternative open enrollment; once a cap is set, alternative open enrollment is frozen at that level for the remainder of the school year. Staff said that capping spaces could negatively affect programs such as the Career and College Academy (CCA) and options programs that enroll students throughout the year.
After questions and deliberation, a motion was offered and seconded to place no caps on open enrollment spaces for regular education students in all grade levels and for special-education students who qualify for programs already established within the district, with the exception of the RISE program where no seats are available for 2025–26. The board approved the motion by voice vote.
Board members noted contingencies: if the district’s April referendum is unsuccessful and staff reductions are required to balance the budget, the board may revisit seat caps in subsequent years and place caps on specific programs or grade levels as needed.
Why it matters: open enrollment affects where students attend and the district’s revenue. District staff said open-enrollment revenue helps offset fixed costs and that capping spaces can freeze alternative open enrollment for months, affecting families and program placements.
