281—17.2(282) Application process.

1. 17.2(1)  Parent/guardian responsibilities. Iowa Code section 282.18 governs the application process and responsibilities for parents/guardians and school districts. An application completed and submitted under this chapter will include all information set forth in, and within the timelines provided by, Iowa Code section 282.18(2)“a.”
2. 17.2(2)  Petition for attendance in an alternative receiving district. Once the pupil of a parent/guardian has been accepted for open enrollment, attendance in an alternative receiving district under open enrollment can be initiated by filing a petition for change with the receiving district. The timelines and notification provisions for such a request are the same as outlined in subrule 17.2(3).

3. 17.2(3)  School district responsibilities.

   1. a. The board of the resident district takes no action on an open enrollment request except for a request made under rule 281—17.3(282). The parent/guardian may withdraw an open enrollment request any time prior to the board’s action on the application.
   2. b. The board of the receiving district will act on an open enrollment request as outlined in Iowa Code section 282.18(2)“b.”
   3. c. The board of the receiving district will comply with the provisions of rule 281—17.10(282) if the application for open enrollment is for a pupil requiring special education as provided by Iowa Code chapter 256B.
   4. d. If the application is a request to attend in an alternate receiving district, the alternative district will send notice of this action to the parent/guardian, to the original receiving district, and to the resident district of the pupil. Petitions for change will be for not less than one year. A pupil in good standing may return to the district of residence at any time following written notice from the parent/guardian to both the resident district and the receiving district.

   5. e. Notification to parents.

      1. (1) By September 30 of each school year, all districts must notify parents of the following:

         1. 1. Transportation assistance; and
         2. 2. Possible loss of athletic eligibility for open enrollment pupils.
      2. (2) This notification may be published in a school newsletter, a newspaper of general circulation, a website, or a parent handbook provided to all patrons of the district. This information will also be provided to any parent/guardian of a pupil who enrolls in the district during the school year.
4. 17.2(4)  Exception to process when resident district is under court-ordered desegregation. If the resident district has a court-ordered desegregation plan, the superintendent of the resident district may act upon the request for transfer as outlined in Iowa Code section 282.18(3)“a.” A denial by the superintendent may be appealed following the procedures outlined in Iowa Code section 282.18(3)“b.”

The following procedure is to be used by parents/guardians and school districts in processing open enrollment applications.

[ARC 7786C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24; ARC 9101C, IAB 4/16/25, effective 5/21/25]