February 3, 2021

Over 120 students open enroll into Decorah Community School District each year. Open enrollment is the process by which parents and/or guardians residing in an Iowa district may enroll their children into another Iowa school district under the terms and conditions of Iowa Code section 282.18.

The deadline for submitting an open enrollment application for students entering grades 1-12 is March 1. The deadline for students entering kindergarten is September 1. Families interested in open enrollment can deliver an application to the administrative office of either the district in which they reside or to the administrative office of Decorah Schools.

“Families choose to open enroll to Decorah Schools for a variety of reasons. Some parents like the convenience of having their children attend school in the town in which they work. Others appreciate the exceptional learning and extra-curricular experiences we offer such as orchestra, speech and drama, soccer and tennis, and a variety of AP and dual-credit offerings,” shared Superintendent Mark Lane.

Lane continued, “Open enrollment forms only need to be completed once. Students currently open enrolled into Decorah Schools do not need to resubmit paperwork each year. However, parents of students beginning kindergarten who have older siblings open enrolled into Decorah Schools do need to complete an open enrollment application for the first year of enrollment. St. Benedict School students finishing grade 8 who are not residents of the Decorah Community School District but wish to attend high school in Decorah must also complete open enrollment.”

“We are happy to answer questions or to assist with the completion of open enrollment paperwork,” concluded Lane.

The 2021-2022 open enrollment application form can be found on both the Decorah Schools and Iowa Department of Education websites. Applications are also available at the Decorah Schools Central Administration Office at 510 Winnebago Street.