Caledonia Board votes to opt out of Section 105c school-of-choice for 2025–26 after trustees raise special-education concerns

The Caledonia Board of Education voted to adopt a three-part resolution to opt out of Section 105c school-of-choice and to participate in the Kent ISD collaborative schools-of-choice program for the 2025–26 school year.

Board member (speaker 8) moved the resolution in full: “I move that the board approve the resolution to opt out of section 105c ... and participate in the Kent ISD collaborative schools of choice program for the 2025–26 school year.” The motion was seconded and taken up for discussion.

Trustee (speaker 5) asked whether opting out would leave the district “leaving money on the table” given nearby empty seats at Paris Ridge and raised enrollment concerns. Superintendent/staff (speaker 3) responded with a substantive explanation of how special-education students are treated under Section 105c and described the statutory and administrative difficulties: “It's a systemic problem … the way that the state law reads is if the district that is the resident district and the district like ours that would be receiving, if they can't come to an agreement on the special education costs, then the student must remain in their resident district,” the superintendent said, adding that this creates complex taxation and cost-allocation challenges. Another trustee (speaker 10) clarified that opting out of 105c “does not mean that a student who lives in Wayland can't come to Caledonia — they just can't come through 105c,” noting other protocols remain available.

Board members said the district was operating on a decision deadline (Feb. 28) and that while some trustees favor maintaining the status quo for now, they wanted additional study on the issue. After discussion the resolution passed by roll call.