The Potential of Defensive Localism in School District Responses to Interdistrict Open Enrollment

• In Event: Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: Choice and Organizations

Abstract

This study aims at exploring differences between school districts in response to competition through voluntary inter- district open enrollment. Focusing on the case of the Ohio inter-district open enrollment policy, the study finds that the school districts that prohibit enrollment of students from all other districts are clustered in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. While these cities, except for Cincinnati, voluntarily take part in the inter-district open enrollment policy, the neighboring school districts in suburbia do not receive students from the cities. Especially, suburban districts that use local funds from higher property taxes are likely to keep their attendance boundaries close to hinder students in urban school districts, often perceived as poor and failing, from flowing into their districts.

Author

• Jin Lee, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign