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District received 246 open-enrollment applications for 75 approved seats; process to include random drawing and sibling preference
Summary
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District approved 75 open-enrollment seats and received 246 applications during the February–April window; district staff said notifications and randomized drawings will determine final placements.
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District approved 75 open-enrollment seats for the 2025 intake and received 246 open-enrollment applications during the February–April application window, district staff told the school board.
District officials said the number matters because open enrollment affects classroom sizes, staffing and the district’s budget. The board approved seat totals by grade as required under state law prior to the application window.
A district staff member explained that the 246 applications do not all translate to new students because families may apply to multiple districts and because some applicants are current students who remain eligible through open enrollment while a new home is built. The district reported it currently has 91 students attending on open enrollment.
The district noted it received about 92 applications from families seeking to leave the district. Staff said those figures are being reviewed as families accept or decline offers and that the process often continues through the summer because seats are filled from a randomized wait list when demand exceeds approved seats.
Board members asked practical questions about how seats are counted and whether families are notified when no seats exist; staff said families can still apply even when no seats are initially available and that the board can open additional seats later in the summer.
The board also changed policy so sibling enrollment is a preference rather than an automatic approval; administrators said they are identifying sibling households and will begin sending notifications to families in the next weeks. The district said it will mail offer and wait-list letters and that families will have the opportunity to accept or decline offers, which will trigger movement down wait lists.
Why it matters: open-enrollment flows directly into the district’s enrollment projection and revenue calculations; large swings in open-enrollment in or out of the district can affect staff and program planning for the coming school year.
What’s next: staff will begin mailing acceptance and wait-list letters in the next several weeks and will continue to process applications through the summer.
