The Wittenberg-Birnamwood School Board approved applications May 19 for 21 new students from outside the school district to come to local schools through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction open enrollment program.
Currently, the district has 179 students coming into the district from other places in the state. If all of those students remain, that would give the district 200 students beyond the ones it educates within the district.
However, there is no guarantee that will be the case. According to Jill Resch, administrative assistant for the superintendent and school board, graduation means the current list will see some removals. Also, there is no guarantee that all of the 21 new applicants will be in the schools come fall, as many families apply to more than one school district and some could back out if another school district is a better fit for them.
The school board also approved having three openings through the alternative open enrollment period, which starts July 1, for students who might have speech and language pathology needs.
Witt-Birn is one of the few school districts in the area with more students coming into the district through open enrollment than going out. The district has 19 new applications of students leaving to go to other schools, and there are currently 119 students on that list.
“I think that here, regionally, we have a small district but one that offers a lot of opportunities — everything from academic to co-curricular,” Superintendent Garrett Rogowski said. “I think that seems to be relatively appealing to some families. I think that has assisted in increasing our enrollment numbers.”
Rogowski said it has been more than five years where the district has been on the right side of open enrollment. He noted that the D.C. Everest School District in Stevens Point has been its toughest competitor in terms of in-person school programs, but virtual schools have also taken a bite.
“Most are coming (to us) from neighboring districts,” Rogowski said. “The students we’re getting are from Antigo, Bowler, Tigerton and neighboring districts to our east and north — primarily families that are choosing the variety of experiences from this district.”
Witt-Birn is doing much better with open enrollment than the Shawano School District, the largest school district in Shawano County. Recently, that board approved 17 new applications in, but 60 students from within the Shawano district were leaving for other public schools.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
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