Wisconsin Code § 118.52

Part-time open enrollment
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(1) DEFINITIONS. In
this section:
(ar) “Nonresident school board” means the school board of a
nonresident school district.
(b) “Nonresident school district” means a school district,
other than a pupil’s resident school district, in which the pupil is
attending a course or has applied to attend a course under this
section.
(c) “Parent” includes a guardian.
(d) “Resident school board” means the school board of a resident school district.
(e) “Resident school district” means the school district in
which a pupil resides.
(2) APPLICABILITY. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, a
pupil enrolled in a public school in the high school grades may attend public school in a nonresident school district under this section for the purpose of taking a course offered by the nonresident
school district. A pupil may attend no more than 2 courses at any
time in nonresident school districts under this section.

(3) APPLICATION PROCEDURES. (a) The parent of a pupil
who wishes to attend public school in a nonresident school district for the purpose of taking a course under this section shall
submit an application, on a form provided by the department, to
the school board of the nonresident school district in which the
pupil wishes to attend a course not later than 6 weeks prior to the
date on which the course is scheduled to commence. The application shall specify the course that the pupil wishes to attend and
may specify the school or schools at which the pupil wishes to attend the course. The nonresident school board shall send a copy
of the application to the pupil’s resident school board, except that
if the pupil is attending a school in a school district other than the
pupil’s resident school district pursuant to a whole grade sharing
agreement under s. 118.50, the nonresident school district to
which the pupil applies under this section shall send a copy of the
application to the school board of the district in which the pupil is
attending school pursuant to the whole grade sharing agreement.
(b) If a nonresident school board receives more applications
for a particular course than there are spaces available in the
course, the nonresident school board shall determine which
pupils to accept on a random basis.
(c) No later than one week prior to the date on which the
course is scheduled to commence, the nonresident school board
shall notify the applicant and the resident school board, in writing, whether the application has been accepted and, if the application is accepted, the school at which the pupil may attend the
course. If the applicant pupil is attending a school in a school district other than the pupil’s resident school district pursuant to a
whole grade sharing agreement under s. 118.50, the school board
of the district to which the pupil applies under this section shall
provide the notice required under this paragraph to the school
board of the district in which the pupil is attending school pursuant to the whole grade sharing agreement. The acceptance applies only for the following semester, school year, or other session
in which the course is offered. If the school board of the district
to which the pupil applies under this section rejects an application, it shall include in the notice the reason for the rejection.
(d) No later than one week prior to the date on which the
course is scheduled to commence, the resident school board, or,
in the case of a pupil attending a school in a school district other
than the pupil’s resident school district pursuant to a whole grade
sharing agreement under s. 118.50, the school board of the district in which the pupil is attending school, shall do all of the
following:
1. If it denies an application to attend public school in a nonresident school district under sub. (6), notify the applicant and the
nonresident school board, in writing, that the application has
been denied and include in the notice the reason for the rejection.
2. If it determines that the course does not satisfy high school
graduation requirements under s. 118.33 in the resident school
district, notify the applicant in writing.
(e) Following receipt of a notice of acceptance but prior to the
date on which the course is scheduled to commence, the pupil’s
parent shall notify the resident school board, or, if the pupil is attending school in a school district other than the pupil’s resident
school district pursuant to a whole grade sharing agreement under s. 118.50, the school board of the district in which the pupil is
attending school, and the school board of the district to which the
pupil applies under this section of the pupil’s intent to attend the
course in the school district to which the pupil applies under this
section.
(4) ADOPTION OF POLICIES AND CRITERIA. By February 1, 1998, each school board shall adopt a resolution specifying
the criteria and policies described in subs. (5) and (6). If the
school board wishes to revise the criteria or policies, it shall do so
by resolution.
(5) NONRESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION CRITERIA. School board policies and criteria for accepting and rejecting applications under sub. (3) from pupils who reside in another school district shall be the same as the policies
and criteria for entry into the course that apply to pupils who reside in the school district, except that the school board may give
preference in attendance in a course to residents of the school
district.
(6) RESIDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REJECTION CRITERIA. (a) Individualized education program requirements. The school board
of a pupil’s resident school district, or, if the pupil is attending
school in a school district other than the pupil’s resident school
district pursuant to a whole grade sharing agreement under s.
118.50, the school board of the district in which the pupil is attending school, shall reject a pupil’s application to attend a course
in a public school in a nonresident school district under this section if the resident school board or the school board of the district
in which the pupil is attending school, respectively, determines
that the course conflicts with the individualized education program for the pupil under s. 115.787 (2).
(b) Undue financial burden. The school board of a pupil’s
resident school district may reject an application to attend a
course in a public school in a nonresident school district if the
cost of the course would impose upon the resident school district
an undue financial burden in light of the resident school district’s
total economic circumstances, including its revenue limit under
subch. VII of ch. 121, its ability to pay tuition costs for the pupil,
and the per pupil cost for children continuing to be served by the
resident school district.
(8) APPEAL OF REJECTION. If an application is rejected under
sub. (3) (c) or a pupil is prohibited from attending a course in a
public school in a nonresident school district under sub. (6), the
pupil’s parent may appeal the decision to the department within
30 days after the decision. The department shall affirm the decision unless the department finds that the decision was arbitrary
or unreasonable. The department’s decision is final and is not
subject to judicial review under subch. III of ch. 227.
(9) RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF NONRESIDENT PUPILS. A
pupil attending a course in a public school in a nonresident school
district under this section has all of the rights and privileges of
pupils residing in that school district and is subject to the same
rules and regulations as pupils residing in that school district.
(10) DISCIPLINARY RECORDS. Notwithstanding s. 118.125,
the resident school board shall provide to the nonresident school
board to which a pupil has applied under this section, upon request by that school board, a copy of any expulsion findings and
orders, a copy of records of any pending disciplinary proceeding
involving the pupil, a written explanation of the reasons for the
expulsion or pending disciplinary proceeding, and the length of
the term of the expulsion or the possible outcomes of the pending
disciplinary proceeding.
(11) TRANSPORTATION. (a) Responsibility. The parent of a
pupil attending a course in a public school in a nonresident school
district under this section is responsible for transporting the pupil
to and from the course that the pupil is attending.
(b) Low-income assistance. The parent of a pupil who is attending a course in a public school in a nonresident school district
under this section may apply to the department for reimbursement of the costs incurred by the parent for the transportation of
the pupil to and from the pupil’s residence or school in which the
pupil is enrolled and the school at which the pupil is attending the
course if the pupil and parent are unable to pay the cost of such
transportation. The department shall determine the reimburse-

ment amount and shall pay the amount from the appropriation
under s. 20.255 (2) (cy) . The department shall give preference
under this paragraph to those pupils who satisfy the income eligibility criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch under 42 USC
1758 (b) (1).
(12) TUITION. The resident school board shall pay to the nonresident school board, for each pupil attending a course in a public school in the nonresident school district under this section, an
amount equal to the cost of providing the course to the pupil, calculated in a manner determined by the department.

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