Schools of Choice: Access to Non-Resident Options

June 2020

Although nearly all states offer similar interdistrict choice programs to some degree—some voluntary, others mandatory for district participation —a particular feature of Michigan’s Schools of Choice program is that, subject to a broad set of state-mandated guidelines, school districts are free to develop their own rules and regulations governing their local choice policies once they elect to enroll non-resident students.3 Districts that participate in Schools of Choice can place limits on the number of students they will accept and in which grades, schools, and programs, set enrollment deadlines, and decide whether to offer transportation to nonresident students. Such local discretion has the potential to create unequal access to school choice. In particular, more limits, earlier deadlines, and little provision of transportation may serve as barriers to access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.