West Virginia Sees Surge in Open Enrollment Participation for 2023-24 School Year

Data from the West Virginia Department of Education reveals that over 7,500 public school students engaged in open enrollment during the 2023-24 academic year. A significant majority, 81% of these transfers, involved students attending schools within their assigned districts but outside their designated catchment areas. Additionally, more than 1,400 students opted for schools outside their assigned districts, highlighting a growing trend in school choice across the state. Overall, nearly 16,000 students, representing about six percent of the state's public school population, utilized public funds to attend their preferred schools through open enrollment, private school scholarships, and charter schools. Recent polling by EdChoice-Morning Consult indicates strong parental support for this policy, with 73% of parents with school-aged children backing the initiative. The data also shows that urban districts accounted for 32% of within-district transfers, while rural districts were close behind at 29%. This trend may be attributed to West Virginia's countywide school districts, which are larger than those in many other states. Notably, "rural fringe" districts, located near urban areas, received 31% of all cross-district transfers, suggesting that proximity to towns influences student choices. Despite lower overall participation compared to other states, West Virginia's initial open enrollment uptake is noteworthy. In its first year, the program attracted three times as many students as Wisconsin's open enrollment did in its inaugural year in 1998-99, indicating a promising start for school choice in the state. However, there remains potential for further growth and improvement in the program.