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Board reviews 2025‑26 open‑enrollment draft of 181 seats, considers sibling preference change
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Jared Rosing presented a draft plan to open 181 regular‑education seats for 2025‑26, explained the district’s use of open enrollment to stabilize class sizes and proposed changing guaranteed sibling enrollment to a preference.
Assistant Superintendent Jared Rosing told the board on Jan. 13 that the district must set open‑enrollment seat counts and any policy changes by the end of January ahead of the state application window. He said the district approved 255 new open‑enrollment seats last year and filled 118 of them, a roughly 45% fill rate. For 2025‑26 the district’s draft figure is 181 seats, focused on grades 4K–7; the district is not opening new high‑school spots in the draft.
Rosing explained that the district uses open enrollment to maintain class sizes amid resident enrollment declines, not to add sections or staff. He described the arithmetic used to project sections and midpoint class sizes at each elementary grade and across seven elementary schools and said open enrollment helps bring classes toward those midpoints without exceeding class‑size ranges. He cautioned that accepted applicants do not always attend, and that the district monitors addresses and preferences as applications arrive.
Board members asked about geographic demand, siblings, busing and financial effects. Rosing said families apply to the district (not to a specific school) and may list school preferences; placements are assigned through available spots and, when necessary, random draws. He said open‑enrolled students count for current funding but do not change the district’s 3‑year rolling average for resident enrollment. Rosing also said the district does not provide busing for open‑enrolled students.
Rosing proposed a policy change to move siblings of currently attending open‑enrolled students from a guaranteed placement to a granted preference (top of the list) to avoid forcing the district to add staff to meet sibling guarantees in years when class sizes are already at or above target midpoints. The board generally supported retaining sibling preference but discussed the implications of removing a guarantee. Rosing said he will return to the board at the end of January with official seat counts and recommended policy language for board action.
