Open Enrollment - Intra-District

Effective May 1, 2019

The Westerville City Schools intra-district open enrollment program is coordinated through the Deputy Superintendent's Office.

Program Overview

Westerville City School’s Intra-District Open Enrollment program is available to families that reside and are enrolled full time in the Westerville City School district.  Parents or guardians wishing to have their children attend a different school from their home school of attendance must complete and submit an Intra-District Open Enrollment application.  If approved, the parent/guardian will PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION for the student to and from the approved school.

Application forms are available at each school building; the WCS Enrollment Center, 300 Polaris Parkway, Suite 3200; the Early Learning Center, 936 Eastwind Drive; and at www.wcsoh.org. Applications are accepted beginning on the first day of school for the next school year. If your child will be a new student in Westerville Schools, you may submit an open enrollment application even though enrollment into the district does not take place until spring. It is the parent’s responsibility to enroll the child into Westerville Schools at the Enrollment Center, 300 Polaris Parkway, Suite 3200 by the appropriate application cut-off date.  Failure to complete the enrollment process by the application date will void the open enrollment application. Parents or guardians may apply for one (1) school and will be notified of the decision in writing.

Change of Address/Move

If your family moves and stays within the Westerville City School district, the parent/guardian will need to submit a change of address form and two current proofs of residency at the WCS Enrollment Center, 300 Polaris Parkway, Suite 3200, Westerville, Ohio  43081.  If your change of address also changes your home school of attendance, you may submit an open enrollment application for your child to remain at their current school for the remainder of the school year.  If an open enrollment application is approved at the high school level, the student is approved until graduation as long as the student remains continuously enrolled in Westerville City Schools. 

High School

The application form must be completed by parents or guardians for high school students to be considered in the open enrollment lottery and must be postmarked on or before March 15th. Parents or guardians may apply for one (1) school only.  Priority will be given if an older sibling is currently enrolled in and will be attending the high school to which the student is applying. Priority will also be given if the student’s parent is a Westerville City School’s staff member in the building requested.  A lottery drawing by school and grade level will be held for all remaining openings. If an open enrollment application is approved at the high school level, the student is approved until graduation as long as the student remains continuously enrolled in Westerville City Schools.  Should you withdraw to another school while still residing in the Westerville City School District and return at a later date, you would need to attend your home school unless a new open enrollment application is approved.  Students applying for grades 10-12 to attend a different Westerville High School; may lose athletic eligibility with the Ohio High School Athletic Association. See www.ohsaa.org for more information.

High School Decision Making Process

The next year’s enrollment numbers are compiled by building and grade level on March 18th and then adjusted for IB administrative placements and open enrollment sibling approvals.  The adjusted enrollment numbers are then averaged.  The average is then multiplied by 6% and that number is added to and subtracted from the average to determine a range.  For Example:  450+390+360=1200, 1200/3=400, 400x.06=24, 400-24=376 and 400+24=424.  Range is 376 to 424.  If an adjusted class size is below the range, then students assigned to that class will not be approved for open enrollment to another building.  If an adjusted class size is above the range, then no additional students can be added to that class.

Middle School

Application forms for middle school students must be completed by parents or guardians and postmarked by March 15th.   Parents or guardians may apply for one (1) school only.  Priority will be given if the student’s parent is a Westerville City School’s staff member in the building requested.  Applications are considered in date order for the requested school and grade level.  When an open enrollment application is approved for a student in grades 6-8, the approval is for one school year only.

Grades K-5

Application forms for elementary students must be completed by parents or guardians and postmarked on or before May 1st.  Parents or guardians may apply for one (1) school only.  Priority will be given if the student’s parent is a Westerville City School’s staff member in the building requested.  Applications are considered in date order for the requested school and grade level.  When an open enrollment application is approved for a student in grades K-5, the approval is for one school year only.

Kindergarten Open Enrollment:  Applications are accepted beginning on the first day of school for the next school year although kindergarten enrollment into Westerville Schools does not begin until spring.  It is the parent’s responsibility to enroll the child into Westerville Schools at the Enrollment Center, 300 Polaris Parkway, Suite 3200 by May 1st.  Failure to complete the enrollment process by May 1st will void the open enrollment application.

General Guidelines

  1. Requests to be assigned to a school, other than the one serving a student’s attendance area, will not be considered if:
    • Enrollment would not allow students who live in the school building attendance area to attend.
    • Classroom student capacity levels exceed:
      • Twenty-two (22) for Kindergarten
      • Twenty-three (23) for grades 1 through 3
      • Twenty-five (25) for grades 4 through 12
    • Racial balance among schools within the district is not maintained.
    • Grades K-8: request is to a grade level with a higher student/teacher ratio.
    • High School: request is to a school with 6% higher/lower student enrollment than the grade level average.
    • Enrollment into Magnet Schools will be governed by the Board Policy 2350.
  2. Students who attend a school other than their assigned school due to a specialized program that requires enrollment, i.e. International Baccalaureate (not available at the assigned school), will not lose their athletic eligibility.
  3. Westerville City high school students applying to attend a different Westerville High School; may lose athletic eligibility with the Ohio High School Athletic Association. See www.ohsaa.org for more information.
  4. To prevent any disruption of a student’s education and to maintain continuity, an elementary/middle school student accepted for the voluntary transfer program will remain in the new school for the entire school year; high school students will remain up to graduation.
  5. Transportation to and from school will be provided by the parent/guardian. There will be no special considerations for student parking permits.
  6. Students with discipline problems may be rejected for intra-district transfer or may be returned to their home school of attendance.
  7. The final decision for all intra-district transfer requests rests with the Superintendent

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