School Open Enrollment Ends January 31st [AUDIO]

The Natrona County School District's open enrollment ends January 31st. Mike Jennings, student support services director for the district, says if you've got a second grader, for example, and you're happy with the school, you don't need to anything.

Only transition grades:

"You only have to complete the open enrollment process if you have a child changing schools, so if you have a kindergartner who's entering the system, or you have a child who's changing schools, then you would need to go online and enroll them. If you're happy with the school and things are going well and your child is not at one of those transition grades, then there's absolutely nothing that you need to do."

The transitional grades are going from elementary school, fifth to sixth grade, and from middle school to high school at ninth grade. Mr. Jennings said that the open enrollment process gives preferences to school choice.

Preference scale:

"We do not bump students, so if you're enrolled in a school, you're going to stay enrolled in a school. Second, if you have a sibling in that school and you're enrolling another child, they'll get preference for sibling. If you're a staff member in that school, then that is a preference. And then geographical preference, you're entering and there's space available at that kindergarten or six-grade point, and you live in close proximity, then that would be the next preference. And those are in order that way."

When asked if people being able to choose a school has caused problems with some schools not having enough space, Mr. Jennings said that hasn't been much of an issue because the district has so many good schools.

Plenty of good schools:

"We have about 97 percent of the first choices honored. There are a couple of schools that do have more requests than they have seats available, and in that case, the school district has put a wait system in play. And with that 97 percent rate, approximately, I think that shows that we just have got some really good schools and we've got some seats available in all of them."

People can find a schedule of the remaining open enrollment open houses on their website at natronaschools.org.