Chapter PI 36

PI 36.04(5)(a) (a) If a nonresident school board creates a waiting list under s. 118.51 (5) (d), Stats., it shall do the following:

PI 36.04(5)(a)1. 1. Establish a procedure to create a numbered waiting list of all applicants which complies with the nonresident school board’s approval and denial criteria under s. 118.51 (5) (a) and (b), Stats., the procedures required by s. 118.51 (3) (a) 2., Stats., and the school board’s policy.

PI 36.04(5)(a)2. 2. Notify a pupil’s parents if the pupil has been accepted from the waiting list. The notification may be written or verbal. Any verbal notice shall be given directly to the parent who submitted the open enrollment application. The notification shall include all of the following:

PI 36.04(5)(a)2.a. a. The school or program to which the pupil will be assigned.

PI 36.04(5)(a)2.b. b. The date by which the parent must notify the nonresident school board whether the pupil will attend the nonresident school district and the procedures the parent must follow to do so.

PI 36.04(5)(a)3. 3. Provide at least 10 calendar days from the date the notice was mailed or verbally provided for the parent to respond to the notification. If the parent does not respond within the specified time period, the nonresident school board may rescind approval and offer the space to the next pupil on the waiting list.

PI 36.04(5)(b) (b) The nonresident school board may establish waiting lists for regular education by school, program, class, or grade, or for special education programs and services, or both. If a pupil is on both the regular education and special education waiting lists, and the pupil’s name is reached on only one waiting list, the pupil shall remain in place at the top of that list until the pupil’s name is reached on the other list.

PI 36.04(6) (6) Habitual truancy. A nonresident school board may not prohibit a pupil from attendance in the nonresident school district under s. 118.51 (11), Stats., unless the nonresident school board has adopted a policy that meets the following:

PI 36.04(6)(a) (a) Clearly defines “excused absences,” “unexcused absences,” “tardiness,” “part of a school day,” “truancy,” “habitual truancy,” and any other term or concept that will be used for the purposes of denying or terminating open enrollment.

PI 36.04(6)(b) (b) Is consistent with the school board’s truancy and attendance policy.

PI 36.04(6)(c) (c) Specifies the criteria that will be used to terminate open enrollment, including the number of unexcused absences that may result in termination of the pupil’s open enrollment.

PI 36.04(6)(d) (d) Provides a process a parent or pupil may follow if they believe the pupil was erroneously marked as truant.

PI 36.04(7) (7) Alternative applications. A nonresident school board may not approve an alternative application submitted prior to the 3rd Friday in September if the board did not approve all applications for the pupil’s grade or special education service that were submitted in the regular application period for the same school year. A nonresident school board may not approve an alternative application submitted after the January school board meeting for a current school year if the board limited the number of spaces available in the pupil’s succeeding grade or special education service for applications submitted under the regular application procedure for the following school year.

PI 36.04 History History: CR 14-021: r. and recr. Register August 2014 No. 704, eff. 9-1-14; EmR1832: emerg. am. eff. 12-14-18; CR 18-096: am. (7) Register May 2019 No. 761, eff. 6-1-19; CR 21-082: am (3) (d), (e), r. (3) (f) Register May 2022 No. 797, eff. 6-1-22.

PI 36.05 PI 36.05 Resident school board. The resident school board may appoint a designee to act on applications for the full-time open enrollment program, subject to the policies and criteria adopted by the school board.

PI 36.05 History History: CR 14-021: r. and recr. Register August 2014 No. 704, eff. 9-1-14.

subch. III of ch. PI 36 Subchapter III — Full-time Open Enrollment

PI 36.06 PI 36.06 Application and notification procedures.

PI 36.06(1) (1) Submission.

PI 36.06(1)(a) (a) The parent of a pupil who wishes to attend a public school in a nonresident school district shall do one of the following:

PI 36.06(1)(a)1. 1. Submit an application to the nonresident school board during the regular application period. In order to be considered by the nonresident school board, the application shall be received by the nonresident school district no earlier than the first day of the regular application period and no later than 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the regular application period.

PI 36.06(1)(a)2. 2. Submit an application to the nonresident school board under the alternative application procedure. An alternative application may be submitted no earlier than July 1 and no later than the last day of the school term during which the pupil will first attend.

PI 36.06(1)(b) (b) The parent shall submit a separate application to the board of each nonresident school district to which the pupil is applying. The parent may submit applications, including alternative applications, to no more than 3 nonresident school boards for any pupil in any school year. The parent is prohibited from submitting more than one application for any pupil to the same nonresident school board for the same school year if the parent’s initial application has been denied. Pursuant to s. 118.51 (3) (a) 1d. and (3m) (a), Stats., applications to virtual charter schools do not count toward the three nonresident school board limit under this paragraph.

PI 36.06(1)(c) (c) The parent shall answer all applicable questions on the application completely and accurately. If the application submitted by the parent is incomplete, the nonresident or resident school board may request the missing information. Except as provided under s. PI 36.12, the nonresident school board may not request from the parent or the resident school board any information that is not required to be provided on the application form.

PI 36.06(2) (2) Records.

PI 36.06(2)(a) (a) By the date specified in par. (b), the resident school board shall provide the records described in s. PI 36.12 (1) (a) or shall notify the nonresident school board if any of the following apply:

PI 36.06(2)(a)1. 1. The pupil has not been found to be a child with a disability and the child has been neither referred to the resident school board under s. 115.777 (1), Stats., nor identified by the resident school board under s. 115.77 (1m) (a), Stats.

PI 36.06(2)(a)2. 2. The pupil has not been expelled and does not have a pending disciplinary proceeding.

PI 36.06(2)(a)3. 3. The pupil does not attend school in the resident school district named on the application and the resident school district does not have any records for the pupil.

PI 36.06(2)(b) (b) The notifications in par. (a) shall be made by the following dates:

PI 36.06(2)(b)1. 1. The date specified in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 1m. and (8), Stats., for applications submitted during the regular application period.

PI 36.06(2)(b)2. 2. Within 10 calendar days of receiving a copy of an application submitted under the alternative application procedure.

PI 36.06(2)(c) (c) If the pupil is not attending the resident school district named on the application, the nonresident school board may request, and the school or school district of attendance may provide, any of the records or information from a public school the pupil attends that would otherwise be provided by the resident school district if the pupil were attending the resident school district.

PI 36.06(3) (3) Application.

PI 36.06(3)(a) (a) A nonresident or resident school board shall provide an application to a parent or pupil upon request.

PI 36.06(3)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (d), the grade level on an application submitted during the regular application period shall be the grade immediately following the grade the pupil is enrolled in at the time of application and the grade level for an application submitted under the alternative application procedure shall be the pupil’s grade in the current school year. If the pupil is not enrolled in school at the time of application, the parent shall indicate the appropriate grade for the child’s age. Except as provided in par. (c), if the application is approved and, upon the pupil’s enrollment in school, the nonresident school board determines that the pupil should be placed in a different grade, the nonresident school board shall permit the pupil to attend the nonresident school district in the appropriate grade.

PI 36.06(3)(c) (c) If the nonresident school board approves an application that indicates a grade other than the grade specified in par. (b), the nonresident school board is not required to permit the pupil to attend the grade specified in par. (b) if any of the following apply:

PI 36.06(3)(c)1. 1. The nonresident school board denied applicants for that grade.

PI 36.06(3)(c)2. 2. The nonresident school district no longer has space in that grade.

PI 36.06(3)(c)3. 3. The nonresident school board determines that the grade indicated on the application is not appropriate for the pupil.

PI 36.06(3)(d) (d)

PI 36.06(3)(d)1. 1. A parent may request early admission to 4-year-old or 5-year-old kindergarten for a pupil who does not meet the age requirement under s. 118.14 (1), Stats. A nonresident school board may evaluate the pupil in accordance with its policy developed under s. 120.12 (25), Stats.

PI 36.06(3)(d)2. 2. If the nonresident school board determines the pupil is eligible for early admission to 5-year-old kindergarten, the nonresident school board may approve the application and assign the pupil to 5-year-old kindergarten. If the nonresident school board refuses to evaluate the pupil or if the pupil is evaluated and found not eligible for early admission to 5-year-old kindergarten, the pupil may attend 4-year-old kindergarten in the nonresident school district only as provided under s. 118.51 (2), Stats.

PI 36.06(3)(d)3. 3. If the nonresident school board determines that the pupil is eligible for early admission to 4-year-old kindergarten, the pupil may attend the nonresident school district for 4-year-old kindergarten only if the pupil is evaluated and found eligible for early admission by the pupil’s resident school board, in accordance with the resident school board’s policy under s. 120.12 (25), Stats.

PI 36.06(3)(e) (e) The application shall indicate the resident school district in which the pupil will reside on the 3rd Friday in September in the first school term in which the pupil first wishes to attend the nonresident school district. If the resident school district named on the application changes, the parent shall notify the nonresident school board.

PI 36.06(3)(f) (f) If the application is approved by the nonresident school board, the parent shall notify the nonresident school board, on or before the parental notification date, whether the pupil will attend school in the nonresident school district. If the parent does not notify the board by the parental notification date that the pupil will attend the nonresident school district, the nonresident school board may determine that the pupil may not attend the nonresident school district and, if applicable, it may offer the pupil’s space to the next pupil on the waiting list.

PI 36.06(4) (4) Notices.

PI 36.06(4)(a) (a)

PI 36.06(4)(a)1. 1. If the nonresident school board does not make timely notification as required in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 3., Stats., an application submitted under the regular application procedure shall be considered approved by the nonresident school board.

PI 36.06(4)(a)2. 2. If the nonresident school board has not notified the parent on or before the 20th calendar day after an alternative application was submitted that the application is approved, the application shall be considered denied by the nonresident school board.

PI 36.06(4)(b) (b)

PI 36.06(4)(b)1. 1. If the resident school board has not notified the parent on or before the date specified in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 4., Stats., that an application submitted during the regular application period has been denied, the application shall be considered approved.

PI 36.06(4)(b)2. 2. If the resident school board has not notified the parent that an alternative application is denied on or before the 20th calendar day after the application was submitted, the application shall be considered approved by the resident school board.

PI 36.06(4)(c) (c) If an application is denied by a nonresident or resident school board, or a parent is notified that a pupil is required to return to the resident school district under s. 118.51 (11) or (12), Stats., the notice of denial shall include the following:

PI 36.06(4)(c)1. 1. The reason for the denial.

PI 36.06(4)(c)2. 2. Notice of the parent’s right to file an appeal with the state superintendent under s. 118.51 (9), Stats., within 30 calendar days of the date the notice of denial is postmarked or personally delivered to the parent, whichever occurs first. The notice shall also include the following:

PI 36.06(4)(c)2.a. a. The department’s address to which the appeal shall be sent.

PI 36.06(4)(c)2.b. b. Where the parent may obtain a form to file an appeal.

PI 36.06 Note Note: PI 9418, Form for Filing an Open Enrollment Appeal, may be obtained free of charge from the Department of Public Instruction, P.O. Box 7841, Madison, WI or by contacting the department at 888-245-2732 or [e-mail] or from the department’s web site at https://dpi.wi.gov/open-enrollment/appeals.

PI 36.06(4)(c)2.c. c. Any other information specified by the department.

PI 36.06(4)(c)3. 3. If the application was denied by the nonresident school board because space is not available in regular or special education, the pupil’s number on any waiting list, if applicable.

PI 36.06(4)(d) (d) If the nonresident school board has adopted a policy requiring reapplication under s. 118.51 (3) (c) 1., Stats., the board shall notify the parent of the reapplication requirement prior to the beginning of the regular application period in which the pupil is required to reapply.

PI 36.06(5) (5) Nonresident school board.

PI 36.06(5)(a) (a) At the January board meeting, the nonresident school board shall designate the number of regular education spaces, by grade, and the number of special education spaces, by program or services, in the district using the criteria specified in its policy under s. PI 36.04 (2).

PI 36.06(5)(b) (b) The nonresident school board may not, on or after the first Monday in February, reduce the number of spaces designated under par. (a).

PI 36.06(5)(c) (c) Prior to the date specified in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 3., Stats., the nonresident school board may not approve more applications submitted during the regular application period than the number of spaces it designated under par. (a), except that a nonresident school board may approve additional applications for pupils who are guaranteed approval.

PI 36.06(5)(d) (d) After the date specified in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 3., Stats., the nonresident school board may approve applications it had initially denied if any of the following cause spaces to become available:

PI 36.06(5)(d)1. 1. A parent notifies the nonresident school board that the pupil will not attend the nonresident school district.

PI 36.06(5)(d)2. 2. A parent fails to provide the notification required in s. 118.51 (3) (a) 6., Stats.

PI 36.06(5)(d)3. 3. The school board determines that additional spaces have become available since its determination at the January board meeting.

PI 36.06(5)(e) (e) Applications approved under par. (d) shall be approved as follows:

PI 36.06(5)(e)1. 1. The nonresident school board shall first approve pupils from the waiting list.

PI 36.06(5)(e)2. 2. Subject to s. PI 36.04 (7), if the nonresident school board has offered spaces to all pupils on the waiting list, the nonresident school board may approve alternative applications.

PI 36.06(5)(f) (f) The nonresident school board shall deny any application received after 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the regular application period.

PI 36.06(6) (6) Resident school board. A resident school board may not act on any application submitted to the nonresident school board pursuant to the nonresident school board’s requirement to reapply under s. 118.51 (3) (c) 1., Stats.

PI 36.06 History History: CR 14-021: cr. Register August 2014 No. 704, eff. 9-1-14; correction in (2) (a) (intro.) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register August 2014 No. 704; CR 16-019: am. (4) (b) 2., r. (4) (b) 3., 4., am. (4) (c) (intro.), r. (4) (c) 4. Register July 2016 No. 727, eff. 8-1-16; CR 21-082: am. (1) (b) Register May 2022 No. 797, eff. 6-1-22; correction in (1) (b) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register May 2022 No. 797.

PI 36.07 PI 36.07 Alternative application procedures. The following additional provisions apply to applications submitted under the alternative application procedure:

PI 36.07(1) (1) Application. A pupil is a victim of a violent criminal offense under s. 118.51 (3m) (b) 1., Stats., if the resident school board determines that the pupil has been a victim of a violent criminal offense, as defined in ch. PI 23.03, under either of the following circumstances and reports the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the building principal:

PI 36.07(1)(a) (a) The pupil has been a victim of a violent criminal offense while on the school grounds of the school that the pupil attends during school hours, or during a school-sponsored event at the school the pupil attends that does not occur during school hours.

PI 36.07(1)(b) (b) The pupil has been a victim of a violent criminal offense while being transported to school for the purposes of attending curricular programs during school hours, or from school to home immediately following school hours on a school bus owned, leased, or contracted by the school district or by a motor vehicle operated as an alternative method of transportation under s. 121.555, Stats.

PI 36.07(2) (2) Pupil attendance.

PI 36.07(2)(a) (a) If the application is approved by the nonresident school board, the pupil may attend the nonresident school district on or before the date specified in s. 118.51 (3m) (e), Stats., or a date agreed to by the pupil’s parent and the nonresident school board. If the pupil has not attended the nonresident school district on or before the date specified in this paragraph, the board may notify the parent, in writing, that the pupil is no longer authorized to attend school in the nonresident school district.

PI 36.07(2)(b) (b) A pupil may begin attending the nonresident school district under par. (a) if the resident school board has either approved the application or not acted upon the application. If the resident school board denies the application, the pupil may not attend the nonresident school district or shall cease attending the nonresident school district.

PI 36.07(2)(c) (c) Notwithstanding par. (b), if the parent intends to file an appeal of the resident school board’s denial under s. 118.51 (3m) (b) 8. or (d), Stats., the pupil may attend the nonresident school district pending the outcome of the appeal. If the parent fails to file a timely appeal or if the department affirms the resident school board’s decision, the pupil shall cease attending the nonresident school district.

PI 36.07(3) (3) Resident school board.

PI 36.07(3)(a) (a) The resident school board may not deny an application based on the criteria specified in s. 118.51 (3m) (b) 3. or 8., Stats., because the parent did not provide an explanation or did not provide enough information for the board to consider the application, unless the board has offered the parent an opportunity to provide additional information.

PI 36.07(3)(b) (b) Except as provided under s. 118.51 (3m) (d), Stats., a resident school board may not deny a pupil’s application under s. 118.51 (3m) (b) 8. or (d), Stats., if the pupil meets at least one of the criteria specified in s. 118.51 (3m) (b), Stats.

PI 36.07 History History: CR 14-021: cr. Register August 2014 No. 704, eff. 9-1-14; correction in (3) (b) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register August 2014 No. 704; CR 16-019: am. (2) (c), r. (2) (d), am. (3) (b) Register July 2016 No. 727, eff. 8-1-16.

PI 36.08 PI 36.08 Administrative and aid transfer procedures.