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

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.