Open Enrollment

Located 15 miles outside of Madison, WI, the Stoughton Area School District (SASD) is an award-winning school district that excels in its educational practices with high-quality staff and engaged students. We serve almost 3,000 students across three elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, virtual learning options, and four-year-old kindergarten (4K), in collaboration with community partners. SASD represents the Stoughton area, which includes the City of Stoughton and parts of the towns of Albion, Christiana, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Dunkirk, Dunn, Pleasant Springs and Rutland in Dane County, as well as parts of the towns of Porter and Union in Rock County.

The open enrollment application period for the 2024-25 school year is February 5 - April 30, 2024 at 4:00p.m. Complete the application on the Department of Public Instruction website.

Traditionally, children in Wisconsin are assigned to public school districts based on the location of their parents’ home. Open enrollment is a tuition-free opportunity for parents to apply for their children to attend a public school in a school district other than the one in which they live.

Transportation to and from a nonresident school, in most circumstances, is the responsibility of the parent. However, some school districts may provide partial transportation. Parents with questions should call the nonresident school district office to find out if any transportation will be provided. Reimbursement of a portion of transportation costs is available for families whose children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals based on federal income guidelines.

Under public school open enrollment, parents may apply during the three-month application period to the school district they wish their children to attend using the online application website. Application deadlines are firm. Early and late applications are not accepted. Districts will notify parents by June 11 whether their open enrollment applications have been approved or denied. Although an alternate application procedure allows parents to apply for open enrollment outside of the three-month application period, there are more restrictions associated with the alternate procedure.

Guidance for Parents and Guardians

• Parents and guardians may complete open enrollment applications online. The online application will be available from February 5 through 4 p.m. on April 30, 2024.
• Parents are limited to no more than three applications to nonresident school districts for each child during the open enrollment application period.
• Applications must be filled out completely and accurately. Contact the local school district office or the DPI if assistance is needed in completing the application.
• Parents may request enrollment in a specific school or program in the nonresident school district; however, enrollment is subject to space and other limitations and is not guaranteed.
• Most students who attended a nonresident school district under open enrollment in the current school year are not required to reapply for the subsequent school year. However, if the student will be entering middle school, junior high school, or high school in the 2024-25 school year, districts may require re-application. Districts must notify parents of any re-application requirement prior to the start of the application period.
• Parents may apply for their children to attend 4-year-old kindergarten under open enrollment only if the resident school district also offers a 4-year-old kindergarten program for which the child is eligible. 

For additional support & information

To find additional information about open enrollment, visit the department’s Public School Open Enrollment website. More information also is available from SASD Open Enrollment Coordinator, Emily Gorges, (608) 877-5002 or emily.gorges@stoughton.k12.wi.us or from an open enrollment consultant at DPI, (888) 245-2732 (toll-free), or openenrollment@dpi.wi.gov.