Open enrollment: a win for parents and public schools

North Carolina’s public education system is at an inflection point. Enrollment continues to fall in most of the state’s traditional public school districts, and further declines are projected. More than half of voters are dissatisfied with their quality of education. And a recent public showdown between legislators and district officials over alleged noncompliance with a parental rights law highlights growing impatience in the General Assembly with school accountability.

But what if there were a policy choice that not only benefited parents and students, but also the durability of the school system itself? There is, and that policy is open enrollment.

In short, open enrollment lets families choose among traditional public schools, so long as space is available. That choice gives students opportunities beyond their ZIP code or assigned school, while generally remaining within their local district. And unlike most other forms of school choice, it is an option districts may pursue independently.

Consider this example: You’re a parent with a child in your neighborhood public school. That school, for academic or other reasons, is not meeting your expectations or your child’s needs. Local charter schools are full, and you don’t have the means to send your child to private school — even with North Carolina’s generous Opportunity Scholarship program. For you, open enrollment might be the ideal solution.

Despite the issues we see today, there is reason to believe that many parents want to remain in public schools. Nearly 30% of North Carolina voters said they would choose a traditional public school for their child over other options, even if money were not a factor, according to a new poll by the Carolina Journal. Moreover, 79% said they support the idea of open enrollment, up roughly seven points from last year.

Imagine how many more families would stay in the public school system if meaningful choice existed within it?

I stress this point to demonstrate that district school choice is a win-win for all parties: students, families, and districts themselves. Rodney Trice, superintendent of Chapel Hill–Carrboro City Schools, recently told a panel of legislators, “Our biggest challenge I think we face now is certainly issues tied to declining student enrollment.” For many families, greater choice could be what keeps them in the public system.

Yet today, only a handful of districts in North Carolina offer open enrollment. Families in Union County can apply to any district school operating below 85% capacity, for example, while those in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools may select from a limited group of schools within their attendance zone. A few other districts provide similar — but often constrained — options.

The good news is that our school boards can change this. They have full authority to adopt policies, including open enrollment, that afford families greater educational freedom. While a statewide mandate would be optimal — similar to those recently passed in Nevada, Arkansas, and New Hampshire, which require every district to allow within-district transfers — there is no reason for local officials not to take the initiative now.

More choice means more innovation and healthy competition — two things our public schools need a healthy dose of. When families can choose among district schools, those schools have an incentive to respond by improving instructional quality, student achievement, and their reputations in order to attract students. The more choice parents have, the stronger those incentives become.

Local leaders must embrace this competition mindset. The fact is that North Carolina is already a frontrunner in school choice, with parents having greater access to private, homeschool, and charter options than ever before. Enrollment growth across all three sectors proves it. Open enrollment is one of many ways district schools can become more competitive and stand out in the busy marketplace of K-12 options.

Of course, we cannot expect choice to be the ultimate cure for every issue afflicting public education. Curricula must improve, teacher training programs need to be overhauled, and achievement must be prioritized over politics and social agendas in the classroom. What it does represent, however, is a catalyst for serious reform. That alone should make parental freedom through open enrollment a priority for North Carolina.

“Open enrollment: a win for parents and public schools” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.