Tens of millions of kids across America attend traditional public schools across all 50 states. Maybe you went to one, or maybe your child attends a traditional public school. Perhaps you even decided to rent or buy a home or apartment because you wanted your child to attend the traditional public school nearby. But what if you want to make a public school transfer?
Most students who attend traditional public schools are assigned to attend these schools by school district officials – based on school boundary maps and zoning. These schools are tuition-free and must accept all students, regardless of their previous academic performance or special learning needs.
But did you know that traditional public schools can also be schools of choice? You might just be able to choose a traditional public school outside of your neighborhood or zone, and still pay no tuition! As you’ll see below, most states today have rules allowing for school transfers, boundary exceptions, or some type of public school choice, which is often referred to as open enrollment. These rules make it possible for parents to choose a great public school for them, whether it’s in their neighborhood or across town! Open enrollment provides over 48 million students the chance to choose a school outside their assigned district, making it a popular option for families nationwide.
What do you need to know about public school choice?
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What is Public School Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment is an important form of public school choice. It allows parents to choose public schools outside of their assigned neighborhood. That way, families can choose the best free public school for their child, even if it’s not in their zip code. Each state has different open enrollment laws for public schools. Allowing students to attend other traditional public schools within their assigned district is called intradistrict enrollment. Allowing students to attend public schools outside their district is called interdistrict enrollment. All 50 states permit public school transfers in at least some cases, but access to open enrollment varies widely by state. Several states, like West Virginia and Kansas, have passed laws expanding open enrollment policies over the past few years, so a public school transfer may be more available to you than it was in the past! If open enrollment is available to you, you can take advantage of it by visiting multiple schools and discovering which is the best school of choice for your family. You can use our free Schools Near Me tool to find various public schools to consider. After all, public schools aren’t all the same. They may differ in learning methods and one may just “feel different” than another to you.
Common Questions about Traditional Public School
Public School Choice in the United States
Every state has traditional public schools; but does your state offer open enrollment, which allows you to choose schools outside your neighborhood, zone, or district? Check out your state’s school choice guide or scroll below to learn whether you can use open enrollment to make a public school transfer. You can also contact your local district to learn more.
In 12 states parents may be able to select any traditional public school for their child, in any school district.
In 21 states, there are at least some situations where schools are required to participate in open enrollment. For example, some states guarantee open enrollment to families who wish to transfer out of a low-performing school, or to families who live too far from their assigned school. In these states, parents meeting certain requirements are guaranteed choice. Open enrollment may be optional in other cases.
An additional 16 states have allowed districts and schools to decide whether to participate in open enrollment. In these cases, families must request and receive school district approval to use open enrollment. Access to public school transfers in these states vary widely – in some, transfers are readily available while in others, transfers are rarely permitted.
In 1 state, North Carolina, open enrollment is generally not permitted, but there are still select cases where families have access to “choice zones” or transfers.
Public School Choice in Your State
Ready to explore your local school options? Use our free “Schools Near Me” tool to search through more than 131,000 public, charter, magnet, and private schools.
Our tool enhances the information we offer on school choice options in your state. With this tool, you can access information on more than 132,000 public, charter, magnet, and private schools across the United States. You’ll be able to view essential information about each school, such as its address, phone number, and website.
The information in this guide to public school transfer is designed to help families who are considering public schooling in their decision-making process. Our mission is to provide families with the information they need about all the school options available – traditional public, public charter, public magnet, private, online, and at home – so they can choose the right fit for their child. Read more guides about choosing other types of schools.