ALBANY - About 10 families were impacted by what an Albany school official says was a "clerical error" made during the state's annual open enrollment period.
As a result, some families' school choices were rejected. But the families that received rejection letters for open enrollment for new school districts will soon be getting their letters of acceptance, said Albany School District Superintendent Stephen Guenther.
"We made an error and we are correcting it," Guenther said.
One area parent, Pamela M. Schuppner, said she sought permission to enroll her daughter in the 4-year-old kindergarten program at St. Victor School in Monroe for the 2011-12 school year. Her son is currently in kindergarten at St. Victor.
Schuppner sought the application during the first week of enrollment, which was held Feb. 7-25. The Monroe School District administers the 4K program at St. Victor, a parochial school, and other locations in Monroe.
She received a letter dated and postmarked April 5 from the Monroe School District, stating that her daughter was approved to attend the school. However, Schuppner received a letter, postmarked April 11, from the Albany School board, rejecting the same transfer.
By April 8, both the resident school and the nonresident school district must notify applicants whether they are approved or denied.
The letter Schuppner received said that "the resident school board (of Albany School District) has determined that the application has exceeded the 10 percent of the student enrollment of students leaving the Albany School District."
Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction, however, will not allow denials based on enrollment numbers, DPI officials say.
Schuppner and a neighbor, who also received a rejection letter for her children to attend the Monroe Virtual School, called DPI to get more information concerning the reasons for the denials.
Schuppner said DPI told her that the only reason a resident school can deny a transfer is if the student is currently in an individualized education program or has mental or physical issues.
Most families that received a rejection letter should not have received a letter at all, Guenther said, calling it a "clerical error."
As a result, some families' school choices were rejected. But the families that received rejection letters for open enrollment for new school districts will soon be getting their letters of acceptance, said Albany School District Superintendent Stephen Guenther.
"We made an error and we are correcting it," Guenther said.
One area parent, Pamela M. Schuppner, said she sought permission to enroll her daughter in the 4-year-old kindergarten program at St. Victor School in Monroe for the 2011-12 school year. Her son is currently in kindergarten at St. Victor.
Schuppner sought the application during the first week of enrollment, which was held Feb. 7-25. The Monroe School District administers the 4K program at St. Victor, a parochial school, and other locations in Monroe.
She received a letter dated and postmarked April 5 from the Monroe School District, stating that her daughter was approved to attend the school. However, Schuppner received a letter, postmarked April 11, from the Albany School board, rejecting the same transfer.
By April 8, both the resident school and the nonresident school district must notify applicants whether they are approved or denied.
The letter Schuppner received said that "the resident school board (of Albany School District) has determined that the application has exceeded the 10 percent of the student enrollment of students leaving the Albany School District."
Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction, however, will not allow denials based on enrollment numbers, DPI officials say.
Schuppner and a neighbor, who also received a rejection letter for her children to attend the Monroe Virtual School, called DPI to get more information concerning the reasons for the denials.
Schuppner said DPI told her that the only reason a resident school can deny a transfer is if the student is currently in an individualized education program or has mental or physical issues.
Most families that received a rejection letter should not have received a letter at all, Guenther said, calling it a "clerical error."