Chapter PI 36

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.

PI 36.08(1) (1) Pupils enrolled. In calculating the count of pupils enrolled under s. 121.004 (7), Stats., for pupils in kindergarten and 4-year-old kindergarten, the count shall be based on the program the pupil attends in the nonresident school district.

PI 36.08(2) (2) Change of address.

PI 36.08(2)(a) (a) The parent of a pupil enrolled in a nonresident school district shall notify the nonresident school board of any change of address. The nonresident school board shall notify the resident school board of the pupil’s new address.

PI 36.08(2)(b) (b) If the pupil moves to a Wisconsin school district other than the nonresident school district, the pupil may continue open enrollment without reapplication, except as provided in s. 118.51 (3) (c), Stats.

PI 36.08(2)(c) (c)

PI 36.08(2)(c)1. 1. If the pupil was attending the nonresident school district under open enrollment on the 3rd Friday in September, the school district in which the pupil resided on the 3rd Friday in September in any school year shall be the resident school district for purposes of the full-time open enrollment program and shall be responsible for the open enrollment payment for the pupil for the remainder of that school year.

PI 36.08(2)(c)2. 2. If the pupil first attended a nonresident school after the 3rd Friday in September, the school district in which the pupil resided when the pupil began attending the nonresident school district shall be the resident school district for purposes of the full-time open enrollment program and shall be responsible for the open enrollment payment for the pupil for the remainder of that school year.

PI 36.08(3) (3) Calculation of open enrollment payment.

PI 36.08(3)(a) (a) The open enrollment payments under s. 118.51 (16) and (17) (b) and (bm), Stats., apply to each pupil who attends a nonresident school district under the full-time open enrollment program.

PI 36.08(3)(b) (b) If the pupil attended the nonresident school district for less than a full school year under the full-time open enrollment program, the amount under s. 118.51 (16) or (17) (b) and (bm), Stats., shall be equal to the open enrollment payment divided by 180 and multiplied by the number of days the pupil was enrolled in the nonresident school district in the school year. The days of enrollment are calculated as follows:

PI 36.08(3)(b)1. 1. The number of days, not to exceed 180, school was in session from the first day of the school term to the last day the pupil attended the nonresident school district under open enrollment, inclusive of both the first and last days, if one of the following applies:

PI 36.08(3)(b)1.a. a. The pupil was in attendance in the nonresident school district on the 3rd Friday in September.

PI 36.08(3)(b)1.b. b. The pupil was in attendance in the nonresident school district at least one day before and one day after the 3rd Friday in September.

PI 36.08(3)(b)2. 2. If the pupil’s first day of attendance was after the 3rd Friday in September, the number of days, not to exceed 180, the pupil was enrolled in the nonresident school district from the first day of the pupil’s attendance to the last day the pupil attended the nonresident school district under the open enrollment program, inclusive of both the first and last days.

PI 36.08(3)(c) (c) If, during the school term, the pupil’s IEP team determines that a pupil no longer requires special education services, the nonresident district shall notify the resident district. The open enrollment payment for the pupil shall be calculated as the sum of the following:

PI 36.08(3)(c)1. 1. The amount under s. 118.51 (17) (b) or (bm), Stats., divided by 180 and multiplied by the number of days the pupil was receiving special education services in the nonresident district.

PI 36.08(3)(c)2. 2. The amount under s. 118.51 (16), Stats., divided by 180 and multiplied by the number of days the pupil was not receiving special education services in the nonresident district.

PI 36.08(3m) (3m) Nonresident school district financial statement of actual cost — special education or related services.

PI 36.08(3m)(a) (a) Starting the first weekday in August and no later than the last weekday in September, the nonresident school board may submit to the department, in the online open enrollment system or other manner provided by the department, a financial statement under s. 118.51 (12) (a), Stats., that shows the actual cost the nonresident school board incurred to provide a free appropriate public education to the child during the prior school year up to $30,000. The statement of actual costs shall calculate the actual cost for the child as the cost for the child under par. (b) less any costs reimbursed under s. 115.88, 115.93 or 118.255, Stats., 20 USC 1400 et. seq, or federal medicaid.

PI 36.08(3m)(b) (b) The financial statement of actual cost may only include actual costs that would not otherwise exist for the nonresident school district but for the need to provide a free appropriate public education to the child during the prior school year.

PI 36.08(3m)(c) (c) No later than the 2nd Monday in October, the nonresident school board may withdraw a financial statement of actual cost submitted under par. (a).

PI 36.08(3m)(d) (d) Only the nonresident school board that submitted the financial statement of actual cost under par. (a) may receive the per pupil payment based on the actual cost in the statement under s. 118.51 (12) (a), Stats.

PI 36.08(3m)(e) (e) A nonresident school board that submits and does not withdraw a financial statement of actual cost will not receive the transfer amount under s. 118.51 (17) (b) 2., Stats., for a student with a disability. A nonresident school board may either receive the per pupil transfer amount under the indexing method under s. 118.51 (17) (b) 2. c., Stats., or the transfer amount under s. 118.51 (17) (b) 3., Stats.

PI 36.08(4) (4) Maintenance of records. The nonresident school board shall maintain all completed applications for 3 years or until the pupil is no longer enrolled in the nonresident school district, whichever is later.

PI 36.08 History History: CR 14-021: cr. Register August 2014 No. 704, eff. 9-1-14; CR 16-019: am. (2) (c) 1., 2., r. (2) (d), renum. (3) (a) 1. to (3) (a) and am., r. (3) (a) 2., am. (3) (b) (intro.), cr. (3) (c) Register July 2016 No. 727, eff. 8-1-16; CR 19-081: am. (3) (a), (b) (intro.), (c) 1., cr. (3m) Register December 2019 No. 768, eff. 1-1-20; correction in (3m) (c) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register December 2019 No. 768.

PI 36.09 PI 36.09 Termination of open enrollment.

PI 36.09(1) (1) Expulsion. If a pupil is expelled by the nonresident school board, the nonresident school board may terminate the pupil’s open enrollment. If the nonresident school board does not terminate the expelled pupil’s open enrollment, the following provisions apply:

PI 36.09(1)(a) (a) If the pupil is a child with a disability, the nonresident school board shall provide services in accordance with 34 CFR 300.530 (d).

PI 36.09(1)(b) (b) The nonresident school board may assign the pupil to an alternative school in the school district.

PI 36.09(2) (2) Habitual truancy.

PI 36.09(2)(a) (a) Before a nonresident school board may prohibit a pupil’s attendance in a succeeding semester or school year under s. 118.51 (11), Stats., the nonresident school board shall do all of the following:

PI 36.09(2)(a)1. 1. Provide the following notifications to the parent and the pupil when the pupil enrolls in the nonresident school district:

PI 36.09(2)(a)1.a. a. The school board’s truancy and attendance policy.

PI 36.09(2)(a)1.b. b. The open enrollment consequences of habitual truancy.

PI 36.09(2)(a)1.c. c. A clear explanation of what constitutes truancy, including what constitutes “part of a school day.”

PI 36.09(2)(a)1.d. d. A description of the notifications, including the manner of delivery, a parent will receive when a pupil is absent, is truant, or is habitually truant. Each notification shall inform the parent that the pupil’s open enrollment may be terminated if the pupil is habitually truant.

PI 36.09(2)(a)1.e. e. How and where the parent can view the pupil’s attendance record.

PI 36.09(2)(a)2. 2. Each notification provided under s. 118.16 (2), Stats., shall notify the parent or pupil of the consequences of habitual truancy on open enrollment.

PI 36.09(2)(a)3. 3. Provide the parent and pupil with a list of all unexcused absences and truancies that resulted in the board’s proposed action to prohibit the pupil’s attendance in a succeeding semester or school year.

PI 36.09(2)(a)4. 4. Allow the parent or pupil to explain why they believe there was any error in marking an absence as truancy, using the process described in the board’s policy under s. PI 36.04 (6) (d).

PI 36.09(2)(b) (b) The state superintendent may not overturn a school board’s decision to terminate open enrollment under this subsection based solely on the school board’s failure to meet all of the requirements in par. (a), if the school board provides sufficient evidence of all of the following:

PI 36.09(2)(b)1. 1. That the parent or pupil knew or should have known the pupil’s open enrollment could be terminated for habitual truancy.