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Parents may weigh their open enrollment options
Staff Writer Voters in the Brainerd and Crosby-Ironton school districts defeated operating levy referendums Tuesday that may result in parents wanting to move their children to another school district.
Area school district superintendents are anticipating telephone calls from Brainerd and Crosby-Ironton parents to see if their children can open enroll into their schools, but it may not be possible.
Pequot Lakes Superintendent Rick Linnell said the Pequot Lakes School Board will vote on closing the school's open enrollment at its Nov. 19 meeting. Linnell said the board is looking at closing open enrollment because the schools are nearing their capacity and the school district wants to focus on the success of its students.
Linnell said that if Pequot Lakes accepts students from Brainerd or Crosby-Ironton who open enroll because their referendums failed, Pequot may have to hire more staff, then later have to make cuts because the students could end up going back to their home schools.
"We make the assumption that they'll go back (to their school)," Linnell said. "We've seen this in the case of referendum failures."
Linnell said the school board will discuss its responsibility to its own students and how the school can do a good academic job for the students.
"I signed a few (open enrollment) forms yesterday and I don't plan to do anymore," Linnell said.
The Aitkin School Board also will discuss its open enrollment policy at its next board meeting Nov. 19.
Pillager Superintendent Chuck Arns said that, right now, open enrollment is open.
"We have room," Arns said. "We haven't received any calls as of yet from parents in Brainerd and Crosby. We are wondering about the ramifications of their referendums failing. We don't know what will happen, we feel bad it happened, but it would be safe to say that there'll be some inquiries about open enrollment at other area schools."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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