Cross-district
Interdistrict
Students transfer to public schools outside their assigned district.
Section 1
What is open enrollment?
Open enrollment is a set of policies that allow students to attend the public schools of their choice instead of the school they are geographically assigned to. There are two types:
Within-district
Intradistrict
Students transfer to public schools other than their assigned one within their district.
How it works
Open enrollment policies are shaped at both the state and local levels. Some states establish statewide open enrollment laws; others leave decisions to local school districts. Even in states with limited statewide policy, school districts often have the authority to adopt robust local open enrollment policies.
State policy
↕Local district policy
↓Student opportunity
Why families choose it
- Access to specialized academic programs
- Smaller class sizes
- Escaping bullying
- Shorter family commutes
- Finding the best educational fit
Why it matters for school boards
Local school boards play a critical role in expanding educational opportunity. Boards do not have to wait for state legislatures to act. Many districts have successfully adopted strong local open enrollment policies that give families greater options while remaining within the public school system.
Go to implementation resourcesSection 2
Why open enrollment matters
Open enrollment is one of the most widely used forms of public school choice in the country. More than 1.8 million students attend a public school through open enrollment, and support continues to grow among parents across the political spectrum.
1.8M+
students participating in open enrollment
43
states offering some form of open enrollment
78%
of parents supporting public school open enrollment
Who uses open enrollment?
There is no “typical” open enrollment student. Families from every community, demographic, and income level use it to find the public school that best meets their child’s needs.
43%
of students using open enrollment are from low-income households
⅓
of students using open enrollment transferred to rural districts
10%
of students using open enrollment had a disability
White students made up 49% of students using open enrollment, Latino students 32%, Black students 11%, and Asian students 2%. These figures vary by state and district. Generally, the demographics of students who use open enrollment are a fairly representative snapshot of the kids in a particular district. Wherever open enrollment is available, parents use it.
Section 3
State policy landscape
Browse state-specific analyses of existing open enrollment laws, implementation practices, policy gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Additional states can be added over time without changing this layout.
Maine
Reason grade F · 0/100
Limited statewide open enrollment framework, with existing programs such as Town Tuitioning and Superintendent Agreements.
View Maine analysisMinnesota
Reason grade F · 51/100
Widely used — about 10% of students open-enroll — despite an F grade and voluntary district participation.
View Minnesota analysisNorth Carolina
Reason grade F · 0/100
No statewide open enrollment law. A few districts offer limited local options.
View North Carolina analysisWyoming
Reason grade F · 35/100
Voluntary inter- and intradistrict open enrollment. No tuition ban or reporting requirements.
View Wyoming analysisSection 4
Model policies
Ready-to-use policy language for school districts. Built from successful open enrollment policies across the country, these four modular policies can be adopted individually or combined into a comprehensive framework.
01
Inter- and intradistrict open enrollment
The nuts and bolts: application process, capacity, lottery protocols, legal definitions, and equitable access.
02
Determination of school and program capacity
How capacity is determined, and how and when that information must be reported and updated publicly.
03
Prominent display
Requires a prominently displayed Open Enrollment Application Portal with deadlines, process, application, and capacity in one place.
04
Application denial process and right to appeal
Denials must go by certified mail with a specific, data-backed reason, and an appeals process for rejected applicants.
Download the school board open enrollment model policies
This is the highest-value content on the site. A brief form helps SBAE understand who is implementing open enrollment and stay in touch with school board leaders and education partners.
Section 5
Research library
Featured national reports and policy research that inform effective open enrollment policy, including work from SBAE partners at the Reason Foundation, the Fordham Institute, and Education Next.
Reason Foundation
Fordham Institute
Section 6
Frequently asked questions
Whether you are a school board member, administrator, policymaker, or parent, these answers address many of the most common questions about open enrollment.
Open enrollment policies allow students to attend the public schools of their choice rather than the school they are residentially assigned to. The new school may be outside of, or within, their assigned school district.
A living resource
Designed to grow with SBAE’s work
This is the first of a scalable series of SBAE resource centers. Future additions can include an interactive state map, policy scorecards, district success stories, webinars, more state analyses, legislative updates, and expanded implementation resources — without rebuilding the site.
Get in touch
Contact us
Questions about implementing open enrollment in your district, or about adding a state analysis? Send a note and SBAE will follow up.