Garland ISD announced this spring that the district will offer an Open Enrollment Program. Students who reside in cities other than Garland, Rowlett and Sachse can attend GISD schools if specific conditions are met.
According to Dr. Babetta Hemphill, executive director of Student Services, GISD’s enrollment numbers have been declining for 10 years. Losing students means less funding from the state. Since the district did not want to increase taxes or cut programs, they took another route, which is the Open Enrollment Program.
“To increase our revenue, we have to increase our enrollment,” Hemphill said.
According to the district’s website, 4,000 students who live within GISD boundaries enrolled in other public school systems between 2014 and 2020. These were students who live in Garland, Rowlett and Sachse, whose parents pay GISD taxes. Unfortunately, these students’ state funding follows them to out-of-district schools.
GISD’s Open Enrollment Program is set up so that students from outside GISD boundaries who meet required qualifications can attend GISD.
Some of the reasons students would wish to transfer to GISD:
- All GISD high schools hold A-rating for college, career & military readiness.
- A family might live just inside the border of another district but a nearby GISD school has a better rating.
- GISD offers Industry-level career and technical courses.
- Garland ISD students receive free AP, IB, SAT and TSI-A tests.
- GISD has a state-of-the-art natatorium and water safety program.
- GISD offers award-winning eSports and robotics programs
- Parents may work far from home and prefer that their children be at a school close to their workplace.
There are some campuses that do not have open seats so those will not be choices on the application. Additionally, a seat at a school with a waiting list would not be offered to an out-of-district student.
Also, a 15% cushion has been built in to ensure that students that live in the district can be accommodated.
The district’s policy will ensure that kids that live in the district will have the first pick at schools before those from other cities. Hemphill said that an out-of-district child will never get a seat at any campus over an in-district child.
Hemphill said that focus groups comprised of district parents shared their opinions and were very clear on this point. They wanted their students to be taken care of first before out-of-district students.
So, the district built in all the above measures to protect in-district students.
There were several other concerns about the program.
Discipline, grade, attendance requirements in place
Another concern was that students who were having trouble in another district would transfer into GISD. However, there are strict requirements for a student to be approved for transfer. Students’ discipline records, report cards and attendance records must be submitted with their application. The district is also requiring the submission of office discipline referrals. If a student’s grades, behavior or attendance are substandard, the transfer will not be approved.
“We want great students who want to come learn with our students in Garland ISD. Students who want to take advantage of the education we offer,” Hemphill said. “For the family that is looking for the absolute best education for their student, they have the opportunity to receive that in Garland ISD.”
Will there be a tax increase?
An additional concern was a hike in the GISD tax rate since students transferring in will not pay tuition.
Transfer students will not pay tuition because funding for each student comes from the state and follows the student. GISD will receive the money for the out-of-district students’ average daily attendance from the state. The program will not increase the tax rate. GISD has the third-lowest tax rate in Dallas County. Hemphill said that open enrollment will not change that
Will the program cause overcrowding?
Another concern of the focus groups was that the program would cause overcrowding. According to Hemphill, the program will not compromise student-teacher ratios.
At last check, 27 requests to transfer into GISD had been approved. However, this is an ongoing process and the district continues to receive transfer requests.
See the Open Enrollment application process page to get started. Application for all grades is currently open.