A Parent's Guide to Open Enrollment - Yellow Scene Magazine

Application deadlines are nearing, tours are commencing, the pressure is boiling! What’s a parent to do? Become an open enrollment champ, that’s what. Get geared up with your kiddo’s best interests, a Trapper Keeper full of forms and school information and this handy-dandy guide. You are about to tackle the open enrollment process with the skill and grace of an All-American lineman.

Welcome to the new reality in education.

The olden days are over. And by old, we mean simple. Today, “choice” in education means that you no longer pick between public or private. You pick among Waldorf, Montessori, AP, IB, college-prep, core knowledge, charter, focus, strand and online…just to name a few. The options can be overwhelming, but the pressure is even more daunting. Among Colorado’s districts, rules, procedures and policies differ, and hearsay among fellow parents spreads like gossip through the cafeteria. So, Yellow Scene has put together a little manual to help parents navigate the wild world of open enrollment. It’s class time, and you will be graded.

(Facts)

Most requested non-charter BVSD school and number of requests: Fairview with 522 applications

Most requested BVSD school overall and number of requests: Peak-to-Peak with 2214 applications

SVVSD had nearly 3,000 transfers into district elementary schools in 2011, up from 2,250 in 2007. Transfers include open enrollment students and those transferring to academic or specialized programs in non-neighborhood schools.

(School Stats)

Number of open enrollment applications in BVSD in the past 5 years:

* 2007-2008: 3,998

* 2008-2009: 4,433

* 2009-2010: 4,427

* 2010-2011: 5,626

* 2011-2012: 6,085

Application Acceptance Dates

* SVVSD: Dec. 1–Jan. 17

* BVSD: Nov. 13– Jan. 13

(Numbers)

425