Abstract
School choice is a growing movement, and public school districts are faced with the challenge of preventing declines in student enrollment. In response, school districts must work to retain enrolled students and at the same time, attract new students. This qualitative study focused on developing an understanding of the factors that influence parents’ decisions to enroll their child(ren) in a chosen school, that is, a school which differs from that assigned to the student, also known as school choice. This case study examined data from the perspectives and experiences of parents and public school district leaders. Results suggest that school leaders need to ensure they build good relationships with parents and keep a positive school culture where customer service is valued and held to the highest standards. In essence, school leaders must maintain strong partnerships with their families to attract and retain student enrollment. The results from this study equip school leaders with valuable information for strategic planning to address declines in student enrollment.
Highlights
The National Center for Education Statistics (2020) reported that in 2016, 31% of all students enrolled in the K-12 education system were either enrolled in a charter or private school, or homeschooled
School choice is a growing movement, and public school districts are faced with the challenge of preventing declines in student enrollment
The conceptual framework for this study focused on the approaches to school culture, instruction, and parents’ and school leaders’ perception of open enrollment
Summary
The National Center for Education Statistics (2020) reported that in 2016, 31% of all students enrolled in the K-12 education system were either enrolled in a charter or private school, or homeschooled. Known as school choice, is the practice of allowing students to transfer across district boundaries (Mikulecky, 2013). Declining enrollment has affected many public school districts in the last decade. The decline can be attributed to the increase in availability of public charter schools and open enrollment across many districts. School choice was once a privilege afforded to select families, but is available to many in 47 states across the nation. With school choice more accessible to all, not just those with the right amount of resources and/or financial availability, inter-district transfers are on the rise
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