Cahill Urges Board to Share Input on Open Enrollment Within Ankeny District

Open enrollment between schools feeding Ankeny's two high schools was discussed at Monday night’s school board meeting.

Board member Pat Cahill urged board members for input before a plan is created outlining guidelines for students who wish to transfer between schools in the district’s two-part feeder system.

The board has not yet decided whether this will be allowed when Ankeny Centennial High School opens in fall 2013. The district currently allows students to transfer to another school within the district if the student is being harassed or has special education needs, Cahill said.

“The first thing the board needs to determine is whether to allow (intradistrict open enrollment) before we make a policy,” Cahill said. “It will help the (district policy) committee move forward knowing what we, as a board, support.”

Cahill serves as a representative to the policy group.

Aside from indicating whether they support open enrollment within Ankeny schools, Cahill said members' opinions are needed on criteria for allowing open enrollment within the district and whether or not it will be done via an application process.

Board member Trent Murphy said his colleagues should offer opinions on the subject.

“If board members have a strong feeling one way or another, at least the committee will know how members are feeling about the issue,” he said.

Murphy also said the district should be mindful the policy put in place is not abused.

“We need to be very clear and explicit on what you allow and do not allow so it’s not abused for anything other than educational purposes,” he said.

Board members likely will review and discuss intradistrict open enrollment in October.

The board also approved a multi-year special education plan for the district, a requirement set by the state of Iowa, said Ankeny Superintendent Matthew Wendt.

“The plan is a framework,” Wendt said prior to Monday’s meeting. “The state has questions (about our program) we need to respond to … for how we are addressing specific issues the state feels are important and to make sure we’re complying with state law.”

Wendt said parents and students would notice no change in the district’s current special education program.