Report: Most states get an F grade on their K-12 open enrollment policies

By Morgan Sweeney
The Center Square

The Center Square – Thirty-three states received failing grades for their K-12 open enrollment policies, which govern students’ ability to attend public schools other than those assigned to them based on where they live, according to a new report from the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank.

The foundation argues that open enrollment policies help students find schools better suited to their needs, pointing to a December YouGov poll in which 74% of K-12 parents said they supported such policies.

“Strengthening these policies would significantly benefit the 49.4 million students enrolled in public schools in all 50 states,” wrote Jude Schwalbach, a senior policy analyst at the foundation. “But 39.4 million students, or 80% of students enrolled in public schools, reside in states with weak or ineffective open enrollment laws.”

Oklahoma, Arkansas and Idaho received A+ grades, Arizona and West Virginia received A’s, and Utah received an A-. Florida, Kansas, Colorado and Delaware received B+ grades, while five more states received grades ranging from B to C+ and two received Ds.

Although only six states received grades in the A range, the report identifies 16 states as having “strong open enrollment laws,” referring to states with strong cross-district open enrollment policies.

Reason evaluates states’ open enrollment laws annually based on seven criteria, including whether districts are required to allow transfers between schools and districts, restrictions on transfer eligibility and tuition, transparency requirements and parents’ ability to appeal rejected applications.

The greatest weight is given to laws requiring districts to accept transfer students from other districts, followed by those requiring districts to allow transfers between schools within their own boundaries. States also receive points for prohibiting transfer tuition and discrimination based on students’ disabilities or academic performance.

Less weight is given to transparency requirements, including whether states publish transfer and rejection data and districts disclose available capacity and enrollment procedures. The rankings also account for whether districts must explain rejected applications in writing and provide an external appeals process.

No state fully met all seven criteria. Oklahoma and Arkansas met six, Idaho and Kansas met five, and Arizona, California, Florida, Nebraska, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin met four. Because the criteria are weighted differently and some allow partial credit, states’ overall grades do not necessarily correspond to the number of criteria they fully satisfy.

The rankings also do not necessarily reflect how many students participate in open enrollment. Despite receiving an F, Texas had one of the largest numbers of participating students, alongside Florida. Colorado and Delaware, meanwhile, had the highest participation rates.

“The Lone Star State does not require statewide cross-district open enrollment. Transfers occur upon the approval of both the student’s parents and the receiving school district,” the report reads. “During the 2023-24 school year, more than 229,000 students used the state’s student transfer option, about 4% of students enrolled in traditional public schools.”

The report also noted that Iowa, Nebraska, South Carolina and Vermont strengthened their open enrollment policies in 2026, while lawmakers in 17 states considered at least 36 bills that would have improved open enrollment opportunities if enacted.