NC House bill would explore open enrollment for public schools

The North Carolina House is moving forward with plans to study the feasibility and potential impact of open-enrollment policies in public schools.

House Bill 981, titled “Local Schools Open Enrollment,” establishes a formal study committee to examine how allowing students to attend any public school within their home district could improve educational outcomes and provide greater flexibility for families.

“We don’t want children’s educational offerings to be severely curtailed by the zip code or neighborhood they live in,” said state Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake, during debate in the House Education Committee on May 6. “This study is aimed at ensuring that option becomes available in a fair and manageable way.” 

Many North Carolina school districts already offer some degree of open enrollment. According to proponents of the bill, around 45 to 50 districts currently allow students to transfer schools for various reasons. 

Winston-Salem’s open-enrollment policy, for example, has been in place for nearly three decades. Rep. Donny Lambeth, a Republican who represents a portion of Forsyth County, praised Winston-Salem’s model as a success but noted that its implementation required specific limitations. For instance, to prevent abuses related to athletics, students may only transfer schools once during an academic year. 

“We had to address some of these areas upfront; but overall, the system works well,” Lambeth said.

State Rep. Larry Potts, R-Davidson, raised the issue of transportation during debate in the House committee, particularly for families who lack the resources to drive their children across the district for school.

“There was a hope that districts would provide clear communication around transportation availability,” Schietzelt replied.

He also acknowledged transportation logistics as a critical topic for the study committee. The flexibility to tailor the policy to district-specific capacities would be a focus going forward, he said.

State Rep. Julie von Haefen, D-Wake, expressed caution based on her experiences in Wake County, where open enrollment-related policies already exist for magnet schools, early college programs, and year-round schools. She warned that introducing open enrollment more broadly could result in logistical hurdles for larger school systems.

“This could cause chaos in districts like Wake,” von Haefen said. “I’m glad we’re moving forward with a study to carefully evaluate these impacts.”

State Rep. Heather Rhyne, R-Lincoln, noted that fears of widespread disruption under open enrollment policies often dissipate once districts implement systems tailored to their needs.

“Many concerns come from lack of familiarity,” Rhyne said. “Districts that already have open enrollment programs demonstrate how flexible and effective these options can be … School choice is here to stay. If public school units can offer more options within their districts, that’s what we need to prioritize — for the kids, the parents, and the future of education.”

A recent Carolina Journal poll put support for open-enrollment policies at 72% among likely North Carolina voters. Support spans across political affiliations, racial backgrounds, and income levels.