Changes Announced for Inter-District/Open Enrollment

Due to increasing enrollment throughout Lakota Local Schools, especially in grades kindergarten through six, changes have been made to Administrative Guideline 5113, Inter-District Open Enrollment. Lakota Local Schools will no longer offer open enrollment for any non-employee students in these grades. Parents and guardians of currently enrolled students impacted by this decision will be contacted in writing by Lakota’s Welcome Center.

The change is a result of the district’s increasing enrollment, especially in the primary grades. The K-6 classroom spaces are reaching capacity and, to ensure that our residents’ students are able to attend their assigned school, the change to the administrative guideline has been made.

It is important to note that this only applies to current non-employee students in grades K-6 who no longer reside in the district. Current open enrolled students in grades 7-12 will not be impacted.

Moving forward, while Lakota has allowed current students who move out of district to remain enrolled in years past, we will no longer allow this in all grades, K-12.

The letter, in its entirety, can be reviewed below.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

You are receiving this letter because you currently have a student enrolled at Lakota Local Schools under Board Policy and Administrative Guidelines 5113 Inter-District Open Enrollment. 

Lakota Policy 5113 states: This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Board.  Due to our continued growing enrollment in our K-6 buildings, and the need to continue with a Lakota master facilities plan, we will no longer be offering open enrollment for any non-employee students in grades K-6 as discussed at the February 26, 2024 school board meeting.  

Our K-6 classroom spaces are reaching capacity, and it is our responsibility to our resident taxpayers to ensure that their students can attend their assigned school. This policy is not a requirement under the Ohio Revised Code and Lakota is no longer in the same position financially and capacity-wise as it was in 2014 when the rules for policy 5113 and its associated administrative guidelines were modified to allow students to remain registered as inter-district open enrollment students. Since 2013, our enrollment has already surpassed the estimates of a 10-year enrollment study, with an increase of nearly 900 students in grades K-6 since 2018 alone.

As a result, effective May 24, 2024, all open enrolled non-employee students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade will be withdrawn from Lakota Local School District.

If you return to residing within the Lakota Local School District boundaries and would like to re-enroll your student/s, please visit our Welcome Center webpage for information on the enrollment process.

Please contact me with any questions regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Pamela Zeigler
Director of EMIS & Student Data Compliance & Accountability