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Merrimack Valley adopts open-enrollment policy allowing limited incoming transfers, barring district-funded departures
Summary
Voters approved an open-enrollment article under RSA 194-d allowing the district to admit nonresident students up to 1% of enrollment and to set 0% of residents permitted to attend open-enrollment schools elsewhere, a move board members said protects taxpayers from unfunded mandates.
The district adopted Article 9 to designate Merrimack Valley schools as open-enrollment under RSA 194-d, permitting the district to accept nonresident students up to 1% of total enrollment while setting 0% for resident students to attend other open-enrollment districts on district funds.
"This protects the district from an undetermined amount of money that we might have to pay those other districts," said Tracy Brickey, a school board member who explained that the 1% cap equates to roughly 22 incoming students for the district. Board members and administrators clarified that receiving districts can still decline applicants based on capacity and that the sending district generally pays a portion of the tuition under statutory formulas; commenters discussed examples and a recent court case that influenced the district's approach.
Supporters said open enrollment would allow the district to accept tuition-paying students from other areas and produce revenue; opponents raised equity and access concerns. After discussion, Article 9 was adopted by voice vote and reconsideration was restricted.
