Local superintendents have mixed feelings about a statewide policy proposal that would allow students to attend school outside of their home district and take part of their funding with them. 

Hal Heiner, the state’s education and workforce development secretary, outlined the policy in a recent document attached to the agenda of a Kentucky Board of Education meeting, which is planned for Wednesday. 

“We definitely support that flexibility to allow parents to make that decision,” said Superintendent Gary Fields of the Bowling Green Independent School District. 

Superintendent Rob Clayton of Warren County Public Schools took a different view, believing it should remain a local decision. 

“Each community has their own unique situation to deal with,” he said, adding local board of education members are most familiar with local education issues. 

The Bowling Green district has several nonresident agreements with surrounding counties, but an agreement with Warren County Public Schools stands out because of a limit on students that can transfer from there. That limit is dropping next year from 710 students to 690 county school students, Fields said.

Reaching that agreement was the subject of a multi-year battle between the two districts. It was a battle that divided the community and friends on the subject.  

Currently, local school districts can arrange enrollment agreements with other school districts to admit nonresident students. Heiner contends that model allows some students to pursue programming not offered in their home school district while excluding others. 

“First, parents are and should be children’s first and primary teachers,” Heiner wrote. “Parents know their children best. As such, parents should ultimately be the ones responsible for making decisions about where their children attend schools.”

Heiner also said the issue also comes down to properly funding schools. 

“Second is the principle that public school funding is for the purpose of educating students,” he said. “That funding should follow students to whatever public schools they attend.” 

Heiner references similar models in Michigan and Indiana. 

In Michigan, state law allows voluntary transfers, but the school district can limit how many outside students it admits in a grade, school or program. School districts receiving nonresident students must prioritize siblings of enrolled students and hold a lottery and create a waiting list if transfer requests exceeds capacity, according to the document. 

Indiana parents are allowed to request to transfer outside of their school district if they believe their children can receive better academic accommodations or if their current school is overcrowded and their desired school isn’t. Parents can also apply for transfers to get their children better medical accommodations or put them on track for an honors diploma. 

Heiner suggested letting student athletes choose between playing at their residential school district or red-shirt for their first year at the out-of-district school. As for funding, he suggested letting the students’ SEEK and federal funding follow them to their new school, while their original school keeps their local funding.

“This approach allows approximately 60 percent of typical tuition to follow the child as incremental income for open seats in the receiving district with the remaining 40 percent staying in the student’s home district (without the expense of educating the student).” 

Fields understands giving parents flexibility. 

“If we allow parents to make decisions that are best for them and their situation, then that seems like a win for everybody,” he said. 

— Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.