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Waunakee board approves change to open-enrollment policy, replacing guarantee with preference
Summary
The Waunakee Community School District Board voted to revise its open-enrollment policy to change guaranteed acceptance for former residents and siblings to a "preference" status; the change will apply to future application periods and district staff will notify families about the shift.
The Waunakee Community School District Board on June 9 approved a revision to its open-enrollment policy that replaces a long-standing guarantee of acceptance for current district families who move out (and for siblings of accepted open-enrollment students) with a preference status.
The change narrows the guaranteed right to remain that the district had applied for more than 20 years and makes those students’s applications “preferred” — meaning they would receive priority over other new applicants but would not automatically override class-size limits or special-education capacity constraints, district administrators said.
Steve (staff member) told the board the state law governing open enrollment gives districts options about how to treat students who move out and siblings of open-enrollment students. The board’s previous practice had been to guarantee those students a continued spot; staff recommended switching to preference because guaranteed acceptance could force the district to exceed its class-size limits or special-education capacities. Steve said the recommended change would allow the district to honor class-size and special-education limits while still giving returning families priority over brand-new applicants.
Dr. Brown (Superintendent) and staff emphasized the change would not affect students already accepted for upcoming terms. Steve and Dr. Brown said the policy, if adopted, would apply to the open-enrollment period for the 2026–27 school year and that families who might rely on the previous guarantee should consult district staff (Annie and enrollment staff were named as points of contact) before making housing or enrollment decisions.
Board members asked about edge cases. Steve explained that, under state law and existing board policy, the district retains a narrow administrative option to require reapplication at transition points (for example, at a school transition) though that practice has not been used. He also said the district will continue to use its randomized computer selection system for lottery situations and that the policy change would be accompanied by direct communications from the district.
The motion to approve the revised open-enrollment policy was called during the meeting and the board voted to approve the change.
The district said it will notify affected families through the district’s communication channels and encourage families considering moves outside district boundaries to consult enrollment staff before finalizing plans.
