Open Enrollment in Missouri: Current Policies and Proposals
In this policy brief, we describe Missouri’s current open enrollment policy and outline a current proposal, House Bill 253, being considered to further increase students’ ability to transfer to schools located in other districts. We also discuss key elements of interdistrict open enrollment policies that must be considered in policy design to ensure all students and schools benefit. We find:
Forty-three states, including Missouri, have some form of interdistrict open enrollment, though the mechanisms of these policies differ.
Six of Missouri’s eight border states currently require districts to create interdistrict open enrollment policies, and one (Kansas) will follow suit by 2024.
Current Missouri policy allows for open enrollment both within the same district (intradistrict) and across different districts (interdistrict), but both are limited.
In Missouri, under current state policy, for interdistrict enrollment to be an option for families, a voluntary mutual agreement is required between districts detailing the circumstances and requirements for a student to attend their non-designated school.
It is unclear how many districts in the state participate in mutual agreements.
Of the 20 largest school districts in the state, PRiME researchers could only locate one interdistrict open enrollment agreement.
A current proposal in Missouri (HB 253) would allow districts to opt-in to accepting students from beyond their district boundaries without specific interdistrict agreements in place and without requiring parents to pay tuition.
Key policy elements when considering effective open enrollment policies include the voluntary or mandatory nature of the policy, funding for students changing school districts, capacity caps for sending and receiving students, the provision of transportation, and the provision of services for students with disabilities and with special education needs.
