Mich. Comp. Laws § 388.1705 — MI Code / Chapter 388 / Act Act-94-of-1979 / Section 388.1705
Counting nonresident pupils in membership; application for enrollment; procedures.
Status: in_force

Sec. 105.

(1) In order to avoid a penalty under this section, and in order to count a nonresident pupil residing within the same intermediate district in membership without the approval of the pupil's district of residence, a district must comply with this section.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a district shall determine whether or not it will accept applications for enrollment by nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district for the next school year. If the district determines to accept applications for enrollment of a number of nonresidents, beyond those entitled to preference under this section, the district shall use the following procedures for accepting applications from and enrolling nonresidents:

(a) The district shall publish the grades, schools, and special programs, if any, for which enrollment may be available to, and for which applications will be accepted from, nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district.

(b) If the district has a limited number of positions available for nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district in a grade, school, or program, all of the following apply to accepting applications for and enrollment of nonresidents in that grade, school, or program:

( i ) The district shall do all of the following not later than the second Friday in August:

(A) Provide notice to the general public that applications will be taken for a period of at least 15 calendar days but not more than 30 calendar days from nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district for enrollment in that grade, school, or program. The notice must identify the dates of the application period and the place and manner for submitting applications.

(B) During the application period under sub-subparagraph (A), accept applications from nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district for enrollment in that grade, school, or program.

(C) Within 15 calendar days after the end of the application period under sub-subparagraph (A), using the procedures and preferences required under this section, determine which nonresident applicants will be allowed to enroll in that grade, school, or program, using the random draw system required under subsection (13) as necessary, and notify the parent or legal guardian of each nonresident applicant of whether or not the applicant may enroll in the district. The notification to parents or legal guardians of nonresident applicants accepted for enrollment must contain notification of the date by which the applicant must enroll in the district and procedures for enrollment. The date for enrollment must be no later than the end of the first week of school.

( ii ) Beginning on the third Monday in August and not later than the end of the first week of school, if any positions become available in a grade, school, or program due to accepted applicants failing to enroll or to more positions being added, the district may enroll nonresident applicants from the waiting list maintained under subsection (13), offering enrollment in the order that applicants appear on the waiting list. If there are still positions available after enrolling all applicants from the waiting list who desire to enroll, the district may not fill those positions until the second semester or trimester enrollment under subsection (3), as provided under that subsection, or until the next school year.

(c) For a grade, school, or program that has an unlimited number of positions available for nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district, all of the following apply to enrollment of nonresidents in that grade, school, or program:

( i ) The district may accept applications for enrollment in that grade, school, or program, and may enroll nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district in that grade, school, or program until the end of the first week of school. The district shall provide notice to the general public of the place and manner for submitting applications and, if the district has a limited application period, the notice must include the dates of the application period. The application period shall be at least a 15-calendar-day period.

( ii ) Not later than the end of the first week of school, the district shall notify the parent or legal guardian of each nonresident applicant who is accepted for enrollment that the applicant has been accepted for enrollment in the grade, school, or program and of the procedures for enrollment. The date for enrollment must be no later than the end of the first week of school.

(3) If a district determines during the first semester or trimester of a school year that it has positions available for enrollment of a number of nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district, beyond those entitled to preference under this section, for the second semester or trimester of the school year, the district may accept applications from and enroll nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district for the second semester or trimester using the following procedures:

(a) Not later than 2 weeks before the end of the first semester or trimester, the district shall publish the grades, schools, and special programs, if any, for which enrollment for the second semester or trimester may be available to, and for which applications will be accepted from, nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district.

(b) During the last 2 weeks of the first semester or trimester, the district shall accept applications from nonresidents residing within the same intermediate district for enrollment for the second semester or trimester in the available grades, schools, and programs.

(c) By the beginning of the second semester or trimester, using the procedures and preferences required under this section, the district shall determine which nonresident applicants will be allowed to enroll in the district for the second semester or trimester and notify the parent or legal guardian of each nonresident applicant residing within the same intermediate district of whether or not the applicant may enroll in the district. The notification to parents or legal guardians of nonresident applicants accepted for enrollment must contain notification of the date by which the applicant must enroll in the district and procedures for enrollment. The date for enrollment must be no later than the end of the first week of school.

(4) If deadlines similar to those described in subsection (2) or (3) have been established in an intermediate district, and if those deadlines are not later than the deadlines under subsection (2) or (3), the districts within the intermediate district may use those deadlines.

(5) A district offering to enroll nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district may limit the number of nonresident pupils it accepts in a grade, school, or program, at its discretion, and may use that limit as the reason for refusal to enroll an applicant.

(6) A nonresident applicant residing within the same intermediate district must not be granted or refused enrollment based on intellectual, academic, artistic, or other ability, talent, or accomplishment, or lack thereof, or based on a mental or physical disability, except that a district may refuse to admit a nonresident applicant if the applicant does not meet the same criteria, other than residence, that an applicant who is a resident of the district must meet to be accepted for enrollment in a grade or a specialized, magnet, or intra-district choice school or program to which the applicant applies.

(7) A nonresident applicant residing within the same intermediate district must not be granted or refused enrollment based on age, except that a district may refuse to admit a nonresident applicant applying for a program that is not appropriate for the age of the applicant.

(8) A nonresident applicant residing within the same intermediate district must not be granted or refused enrollment based upon religion, race, color, national origin, sex, height, weight, marital status, or athletic ability, or, generally, in violation of any state or federal law prohibiting discrimination.

(9) Subject to subsection (10), a district may refuse to enroll a nonresident applicant if any of the following are met:

(a) The applicant is, or has been within the preceding 2 years, suspended from another school.

(b) The applicant, at any time before enrolling under this section, has been expelled from another school.

(c) The applicant, at any time before enrolling under this section, has been convicted of a felony.

(10) If a district has counted a pupil in membership on either the pupil membership count day or the supplemental count day, the district shall not refuse to enroll or refuse to continue to enroll that pupil for a reason specified in subsection (9). This subsection does not prohibit a district from expelling a pupil described in this subsection for disciplinary reasons.

(11) A district shall continue to allow a pupil who was enrolled in and attended the district under this section in the school year or semester or trimester immediately preceding the school year or semester or trimester in question to enroll in the district until the pupil graduates from high school. This subsection does not prohibit a district from expelling a pupil described in this subsection for disciplinary reasons.

(12) A district shall give preference for enrollment under this section over all other nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district to other school-age children who reside in the same household as a pupil described in subsection (11).

(13) If the number of qualified nonresident applicants eligible for acceptance in a school, grade, or program does not exceed the positions available for nonresident pupils in the school, grade, or program, the school district shall accept for enrollment all of the qualified nonresident applicants eligible for acceptance. If the number of qualified nonresident applicants residing within the same intermediate district eligible for acceptance exceeds the positions available in a grade, school, or program in a district for nonresident pupils, the district shall use a random draw system, subject to the need to abide by state and federal antidiscrimination laws and court orders and subject to preferences allowed by this section. The district shall develop and maintain a waiting list based on the order in which nonresident applicants were drawn under this random draw system.

(14) If a district, or the nonresident applicant, requests the district in which a nonresident applicant resides to supply information needed by the district for evaluating the applicant's application for enrollment or for enrolling the applicant, the district of residence shall provide that information on a timely basis.

(15) If a district is subject to a court-ordered desegregation plan, and if the court issues an order prohibiting pupils residing in that district from enrolling in another district or prohibiting pupils residing in another district from enrolling in that district, this section is subject to the court order.

(16) This section does not require a district to provide transportation for a nonresident pupil enrolled in the district under this section or for a resident pupil enrolled in another district under this section. However, at the time a nonresident pupil enrolls in the district, a district shall provide to the pupil's parent or legal guardian information on available transportation to and from the school in which the pupil enrolls.

(17) A district may participate in a cooperative education program with 1 or more other districts or intermediate districts whether or not the district enrolls any nonresidents under this section.

(18) A district that, under this section, enrolls a nonresident pupil who is eligible for special education programs and services according to statute or rule, or who is a child with a disability, as that term is defined under the individuals with disabilities education act, Public Law 108-446, is considered to be the resident district of the pupil for the purpose of providing the pupil with a free appropriate public education. Consistent with state and federal law, that district is responsible for developing and implementing an individualized education program annually for a nonresident pupil described in this subsection.

(19) If a district does not comply with this section, the district forfeits 5% of the total state school aid allocation to the district under this act.

(20) Upon application by a district, the superintendent may grant a waiver for the district from a specific requirement under this section for not more than 1 year.

History: Add. 1996, Act 300, Imd. Eff. June 19, 1996; Am. 1998, Act 553, Imd. Eff. Jan. 27, 1999; Am. 1999, Act 119, Imd. Eff. July 20, 1999; Am. 2000, Act 297, Imd. Eff. July 26, 2000; Am. 2002, Act 191, Imd. Eff. Apr. 26, 2002; Am. 2003, Act 158, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Am. 2005, Act 155, Eff. Oct. 1, 2005; Am. 2006, Act 342, Eff. Oct. 1, 2006; Am. 2008, Act 268, Eff. Oct. 1, 2008; Am. 2020, Act 165, Eff. Oct. 1, 2020; Am. 2021, Act 48, Eff. Oct. 1, 2021