Tempe board adopts changes to open-enrollment policy, ending indefinite wait-list holds
Loading...
Summary
The governing board approved amendments to Policy JFB on open enrollment: families on wait lists for a school will be required to reapply each year; a 10-day application window establishes priority tiers (siblings, employees' children, others) then first-come/first-served.
The Tempe Elementary School District governing board voted on Nov. 19 to adopt changes to governing board policy JFB (open enrollment) that modify how wait lists are handled and set application priorities.
Key changes adopted: the district will treat wait-list placements as specific to the school year and will terminate existing wait-list placements at the end of the school year; families who want to remain on a wait list must reapply. The policy implements a 10-day initial application window each year: applications received during that window will be prioritized in three tiers — siblings first, employees’ children second, then all other applicants — and after that window closes remaining seats are allocated first-come, first-served.
Officials said the changes respond to administrative burdens from long-running wait lists and a past OCR complaint concerning open enrollment practices. Staff told the board they plan to email current wait-listed families with instructions about reapplying and to publish the December 12 specialty-school application window and January timelines for other schools.
Board discussion focused on operational details: whether district families who applied but chose another district school should retain priority (staff said parents will be contacted when seats open and could decline seats) and how application timing and communications would be handled. The board received assurances from staff and the district attorney that the approach had legal review and would be implemented through updated regulations and communications.
The board voted to adopt the changes by voice vote.
Representative quote: "When we were placed on a wait list ... our plan is to email all of those families with communications about the wait list will terminate at the end of the school year," staff said.
