The Missouri House of Representatives approved an open enrollment plan in March that allows students to transfer to schools outside of their geographically assigned school district starting in the fall of 2024. As of Wednesday, April 19, the legislation is in the Missouri Senate for review.

The bill would allow students enrolled in public schools to apply to transfer outside of their current school district, which is assigned according to address, to another public school participating in the program.

While schools can choose to accept or deny transfers, they cannot prevent their own students from transferring out of the building. The number of students with accepted applications allowed to transfer out can’t exceed 3% of the prior year’s enrollment.

Students who transfer will have to stay in the school district for a full year before they are allowed to transfer again, and first-year transfer students will not be allowed to participate in varsity athletics.

Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain has financial and philosophical questions and concerns about the notion of open enrollment.

“I would need crystal clarity of the financial implications before any additional steps could occur,” Dr. Cain said. “Philosophically, I believe that if you want your children to go to a certain school in a certain district, you should move to that school district.”

Principal Dr. Steve Hankins said the program would not have much effect on MHS.

“We already have a population of 2,000-plus students, so we just don’t have the room,” he said.

Dr. Hankins’ fear is not that it will affect the district or MHS, but that it will hurt smaller school districts in Missouri who will lose students as well as funding.

“Public schools are a place for communities to come together, and this legislation could tear smaller communities apart,” he said. “Personally, I see more downsides.”

On the contrary, Dominic Anselmo, junior, said the choice to transfer should be available to students.

The district’s current transfer policy states that students are allowed to transfer to any school in the district as long as both the student and legal guardian live within the district. Currently, students can apply to transfer on the RSD website.

Originally assigned to Eureka High School, Anselmo transferred to MHS at the beginning of his freshman year to play baseball and continue attending school with his friends from Selvidge Middle School, where his father is a principal.

“Where you go to school has a huge impact on your life, so students should be given the opportunity to choose,” Anselmo said. “I’m glad I was given the option.”