Open Enrollment

Have you considered Open Enrollment?

Each year the School District of Janesville has students open enrolling from other school districts. I would like to take this opportunity to address a few of the frequently asked questions about this process:

What is Open Enrollment?

Wisconsin’s inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their children to attend school districts other than the one in which they live. Wisconsin residents in grades kindergarten through twelve may apply to participate in open enrollment.

Children who are eligible for Early Childhood or 4-year old kindergarten may also apply if their resident district offers a similar program and they are eligible for that program in their resident district.

There is no tuition cost to parents for their children’s participation in open enrollment provided they meet the timelines outlined below. Parents will be charged the same yearly fees as a resident student including class fees, laboratory or extra-curricular activity fees.

Detailed information regarding the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Full-Time Inter-District Open Enrollment program can be found at http://sms.dpi.wi.gov/sms_psctoc.

What are the reasons a parent would consider Open Enrolling their student in the School District of Janesville?

   Academics

We rank among the top districts academically in Rock County and the State of Wisconsin. The support given to our Gifted and Talented students can be seen with our elementary and middle school “Challenge” programs and the extraordinary number of Advanced Placement offerings available to our high school students. Our district offers a full complement of special education support services with needs ranging from speech and language to severe cognitive disabilities programming. Our district is recognized for meeting each of its student’s needs at their individual readiness (regardless of academic, social, and emotional standing).

The School District of Janesville also has four Charter Schools

·        

          Rock River Charter
Janesville Virtual Academy

       TAGOS Leadership Academy

       Academy for International Studies

Co-Curriculars

The School of Janesville offers a full range of before and after school co- curricular opportunities at all grade levels. Elementary students can participate in a number of clubs and middle and high school students can sharpen their athletic, musical, academic, and leadership skills in a variety of offerings.

 Size

With an enrollment of around 10,000 students, the School District of Janesville is large enough to offer a full PreK-12 academic and co-curricular program but is still small enough to stay focused on each individual student.

Leadership

We have a very progressive nine member Board of Education that is passionate about providing students and families with high quality opportunities and experiences. Our Board members nicely complement all cross-sections of our community: business leaders, parents, and educational advocates.

Parent Involvement

We believe parents are a central part of our students’ success. We have instituted several measures that will allow parents easier access to their student’s performance. For example, our Skyward Family Access allows parents real-time access to their child’s teacher’s grade book. When and if questions arise, parents merely need to pick up the phone or send an email to receive feedback in a very short turnaround time.

Parents are also involved through the Janesville Area Council Parent Teacher Association (JAC-PTA). The JAC-PTA is a network comprised of individual school PTA leaders working collaboratively toward the School District of Janesville’s common vision.

Facilities

Since 1996, the Janesville community has provided us with a new elementary school, a new middle school, a $ 16.99 million renovation of 5 elementary schools and a $71 million dollar high school expansion and remodeling project. Our schools serve as a centerpiece to a community that is embracing forward thinking and change in the decade ahead.

Staff

We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of highly qualified staff members whose mission is to serve our students and community. You can count on the School District of Janesville employees to have the attitude, skills, and desire needed to leave a positive, lasting impact on each child entrusted to our care. Therefore, quality relationships are built between teachers, students, and parents. Administrators make decisions based on what is in the best interest of students.

How and when may parents apply?

Parents may apply at http://sms.dpi.wi.gov/sms_psctoc. Paper application forms may be obtained from the district office after January 15, 2014 and must be turned in to the Administrative Services Office during the application period.

The Open Enrollment application dates for the 2014-2015 school year are

February 3, 2014 to April 30, 2014 by 4:00 p.m.

Unfortunately, early and late applications cannot be accepted unless a student’s situation allows late application under state statute.  If you have missed the deadline and feel your situation may qualify please contact Administrative Services Secretary Tami Carlson at 608-743-5006 immediately.

How many students are accepted on Open Enrollment each year?

The number of seats available for the upcoming school year will be determined by District and school administration. Among the many benefits of attending a school in Janesville is a lower student/teacher ratio. Our ultimate goal is to preserve this. All valid applications are reviewed after the application period. If more students apply to attend the School District of Janesville than there are spaces, we must give preference to students who are already attending our district and to siblings of students who are already attending. After granting this preference, students will be assigned to any remaining spaces through a random lottery.

Can an application be rejected?

Nonresident school districts may deny an application for any one of the following reasons:

Space is not available for the student in the nonresident school district.

If the student has been expelled during the current school year or during the two preceding school years (for certain state statute identified conduct) or is currently under expulsion.

If the special education program that the student needs is not available in the school district; if there is no space in the special education program; or if the student has been referred for an evaluation but has not yet been evaluated.

If the student was habitually truant from the nonresident school district during any semester of attendance at the nonresident school district in the current or previous school year.

The student is not age eligible for the open enrollment program.

If accepted, do I need to reapply every year?

No. If you continue to reside in the same resident district, you only need to reapply for the transition from elementary to middle school.

Who is responsible for providing transportation to and from school under Open Enrollment?

Parents are responsible for transporting their children to and from school, unless transportation is legally required as part of a child’s Individualized Educational Program (IEP) through the Special Education Department.

Where can I get more information?

If you need assistance or have access to a computer, please contact Mrs. Tami Carlson, at the Educational Services Center, 527 S. Franklin Street, by calling 608-743-5006 between 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or emailing tcarlson@janesville.k12.wi.us. Further information and forms are available by contacting the school district and are also available on the Wisconsin Department of Instruction web site: http://sms.dpi.wi.gov/sms_psctoc