Losing open enrollment deadline creates unease

Newton schools may be up 45 students or down 16 students from last year. The discrepancies and rapid fluctuations disoriented administrators of the Newton Community School District during the Sept. 26 school board meeting, who bemoaned the legislative changes removing open enrollment deadline this year.

Superintendent Tom Messinger said it is too early to tell what the final enrollment numbers really look like. By Oct. 1, all Iowa schools will have submitted their enrollment data to the state for their budget next school year. Students are still coming and going in part thanks to the removal to the March 1 deadline.

All additional 45 students could mean an extra $333,000 to the budget, whereas a loss of 16 students could mean a $118,000 reduction.

“The biggest reason right now, that I believe, we are so much more up in the air than usual: is there have been more open enrollments in and out over the last couple months,” Messinger said. “More than I think a lot of us thought would happen after the change in legislation. That has really been a big burden.”

Keeping track of the ins and outs has been a challenge. Since March 2, one day after what would have been the open enrollment deadline, Newton schools has had 64 open enrollments out of the district. Messinger said it shifts the district’s numbers around more than a typical year.

School board member Mark Thayer said two weeks the superintendent reported the district was up 52 students, but now the numbers have changed. Thayer even asked if that was a miscount, saying the school was counting “butts in seats.” Well, now, those are empty.

“That seems like a lot to me,” Thayer said.

Other students are open enrolling out to Newton, which still have to be factored in. Messinger said student enrollment fluctuations are common every year, but this year seems more erratic or fluid. There are other elements to factor in, such as the processing from the state and other school districts.

With the numbers fluctuating so much, Thayer questioned whether it was even appropriate to have these pre-discussions in the future until the numbers are certified. Messinger said he would like to wait until they are certified, and he noted “it has been a roller coaster of emotions” in his office.

“At the amount funding, plus 50 or minus 16 is enough to buy a couple Porsches,” Thayer said.

Messinger added, “It’s surprising there would be that big of a range this close to count.”

School board member Donna Cook said the burden placed on the districts with “this mess” from the legislature “is very frustrating.” Other school board members asked when the numbers would be fully certified, with board president Robyn Friedman saying she would be skeptical of anything released on Oct. 1.

School board member Travis Padget asked what the proposed benefit to public education was when the Iowa Legislature passed the bill removing the open enrollment deadline. Berg Middle School Principal Bret Miller said the intent was not about positive change.

Cook and Messinger said it was because of parent choice.

“Just wondering,” Padget said. “It’s frustrating.”

Messinger added, “The concept of open enrollment is not bad, because I believe there are certain circumstances where going to a different place is potentially beneficial to the kid, works out better with whatever the family situation may be. My issue with it has not to do with that aspect of it. It’s entirely about planning.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext 560 or at cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com