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Superintendent outlines House bill 711 changes to open‑enrollment; board warned of financial and service impacts
Summary
Superintendent delivered a detailed overview of House Bill 711 and Senate Bill 215 proposals on public school open‑enrollment, highlighting a 3% cap on students leaving resident districts, state versus local funding effects, special‑education and transportation provisions, and DESE authority to monitor and override district denials.
The Ozark R‑VI superintendent briefed the board on proposed state legislation on public school open enrollment, focusing on substantial changes in House Bill 711 and a different Senate companion. The presentation was informational; no board action was requested.
Key provisions summarized: if enacted, HB 711 would allow transfers beginning with the 2026–27 school year and caps the number of students who may leave a resident district each year at 3% of total enrollment. The superintendent said the bill treats nonresident students as if they had moved into the receiving district: the nonresident district must provide the same or “substantially similar” services for special‑education, 504, gifted and English‑learner students and may be required to allow those students to review and amend their IEPs upon transfer.
Funding and transportation: the superintendent noted local tax revenue would remain with the resident district while state funding would follow the student, a change that could reduce district revenue when students transfer away. Parents would generally be responsible for transportation, but the bill requires a nonresident district to offer transportation when the transferring student qualifies for free‑ or reduced‑price lunch or has transportation specified on an IEP and the districts share a border; the bill limits required travel to 5 miles into the contiguous district or 30 miles from a transferring student’s school, the superintendent said.
District authority and oversight: HB 711 would require DESE to create an online portal for applications, a model policy for transfers, and standards for acceptance or rejection. The superintendent explained a district may set limits (class size, program capacity, projected enrollment) and give sibling preference, but DESE would have authority to audit, survey districts and overrule district denials through appeals to the commissioner and State Board of Education.
Board and community response: board members asked for clarification about capacity limits and revenue impacts; a state legislator in attendance, Rep. Jamie Gregg (introduced himself as the state representative for District 140), clarified points the superintendent had raised and said some concerns raised to the board were overstated and that the bill contains provisions restricting hiring to match enrollment. Gregg said the bill has been debated for years and that districts are not required to accept transfers if they choose not to participate in the program.
Why it matters: if passed, the law would require the district to make policy decisions about whether to participate, how many transfers to accept and how to manage capacity, special‑education services and transportation. The superintendent said the board will need to remain engaged as the legislation advances and to plan for possible policy changes if the bill becomes law.
