Open Enrollment Application Process

General Information

Resident School District

This is the school district in which you will reside in the 2020-2021 school year. You must provide a resident school district and the resident school district must be the same on all applications you submit. You must be living in this district at the beginning of the school term and through September 18, 2020.

If you do not know the school district in which your home is located, contact the municipal clerk in your municipality to find out. Then verify by calling the resident school district.

Important Information If You Are Planning to Move

If you are planning to move, you may apply for open enrollment. You must indicate as the resident district the district in which you will be living by September 18, 2020. You do not have to have an address in that district at this time, but you must know what the district will be. If you do not know what district you will be living in, you will need to make your best guess. If you selected the incorrect resident district, DPI can change the district to the correct one.
 

Nonresident School Districts / School Districts You Are Applying To

• The "nonresident school district" is the school district you want your child to attend. Be sure you indicate the correct nonresident school district. Many school districts have similar names. If you select the incorrect nonresident district, DPI cannot change the district to the correct one. If you have any questions, please call the nonresident school district to inquire, or call a DPI open enrollment consultant at (888) 245-2732.
   
• If you submit applications to more than three nonresident school districts, all applications will be declared invalid.
   
• As an option, you may request a specific school or program in the nonresident school district.
   
  • Assignment to the requested school or program is not guaranteed, and your child may be assigned to a different school than the one requested.
     
  • You may indicate in the check box that you wish to be considered only for the school listed;
    However, if you do this:
     
    • your application may be denied even if there is space in another school in the district, and
       
    • you will not be placed on a waiting list if the school district has one.

Special Note on K-8 and Unified High School (UHS) Districts

Most school districts in Wisconsin offer grades kindergarten through 12. However, some school districts offer only grades kindergarten to 8 (K-8 or elementary only districts) and some school districts offer only high school grades (UHS districts). Each K-8 district "feeds into" a UHS district. However, these are separate school districts. Applications must be submitted to the correct school district and the application must indicate the correct resident school district. If you are applying for your child to attend a K-8 or UHS district or to transfer out of a K-8 or UHS district, be sure you name the correct school district on the application form. If you have any questions, please call the school district office or the DPI for information about how to submit your application.

Because K-8 and UHS districts are separate school districts, open enrolled students must submit new applications when transferring from a K-8 district (for example, Glendale-River Hills School District) to the associated UHS district (for example Nicolet UHS District). Students applying to the UHS district from an associated K-8 district are entitled to preference for available seats in the UHS district. However, there is no preference for siblings if one attends a K-8 district and the other is applying for the UHS district, and vice versa.

Prekindergarten, 4-Year-Old Kindergarten, and Early Childhood Education

The open enrollment law limits the ability of students to participate for prekindergarten, 4-year-old kindergarten, and early childhood education. In order to participate in these programs:

• The student's resident school district must offer the same type of program, and
• the student must be eligible for the program in her or his resident school district

If your resident school district does not offer prekindergarten or 4-year-old kindergarten, your application will be denied.

Private School / Home-based Education

Important Note: If your child is currently enrolled in a private school or a home-based private educational program, you may apply for open enrollment. However, if your child participates in open enrollment in the 2020-2021 school year, she or he may not be simultaneously enrolled in a private school or home-based private educational program.  Attendance in a virtual charter school is not considered home-based private education.  It is considered public school.

Virtual Charter Schools / Online Schools

Below is a current list of "virtual charter schools" (aka "online schools") operated by public school districts in Wisconsin. If you want to apply to one of these schools, you will have to apply to the school district in the right-most column below. Be careful - some of the names are very similar!

Approval / Denial

Notices of approval or denial must be mailed on or before Thursday, July 2, 2020 by the nonresident school district and by the resident district on or before Thursday, July 9, 2020.

Reasons for Denial

Contact Us

If you have questions about the open enrollment program, please contact a DPI open enrollment consultant at (888) 245-2732, or send an email to OpenEnrollment@dpi.wi.gov.

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