Open Enrollment is the process by which parents/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 and 281--Iowa Administrative Code chapter 17.

Deadline for Filing Open Enrollment Application
March 1 Grades 1-12 of current school year for following school year.
September 1 of new school year for Kindergarten

Transport Student to Receiving District
Parents are responsible for transporting children that are open enrolled to another district. This applies to all students including those with an IEP. If the need for transportation as a related service is stated in the IEP, as a general rule the parent is responsible for this obligation under open enrollment. If a child open enrolls to a district that is contiguous (borders) to the home district, and the parents’ income meets economic eligibility requirements, the family may receive a stipend for transportation or be provided transportation by the district.

Athletic Eligibility
Students that open enroll in grades 9 through 12, shall not be eligible to participate in varsity contests and competitions during the first 90 school days of transfer. 281-IAC 17.8(2) Please contact the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union at (515) 288-9741 or the Iowa High School Athletic Association at (515) 432-2011 for questions regarding eligibility.

2024-25 School Year

For the actual application form, print from the following link:

2024-25 and 2025-26 Open Enrollment Applications

2022-23 Open Enrollment Handbook

For additional information, please visit the Department of Education Open Enrollment page at:

Iowa Department of Education/Open Enrollment

District Contact 

Janet Nicklaus
jnicklaus@atlanticiaschools.org
712-243-4252 (7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., M-F)