For the coming 2016-17 school year only, there are two ways that a student can be eligible to participate in the SNSP.
Option 1
For a student to be eligible he/she must have attended a Wisconsin public school for the entire school year prior to the year the student wishes to enroll in the SNSP; he/she must have applied to a public school(s) through open enrollment and been denied at all schools; if the student’s parent appealed the decision, the DPI must have affirmed the denial; he/she must have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or services plan; and he/she must be a Wisconsin resident.
This first option is the only established eligibility criteria in place for future years of the program. This means that in the future, the SNSP will benefit special needs students who have run out of options for receiving the educational services they need from the public school system, but will not be a solution for accommodating private school students with disabilities.
Option 2
For the 2016-17 school year only, there is an alternative option for a student to be eligible.
Under this option a student does not need to have attended a public school prior to applying, however he/she must have applied through public school open enrollment and been denied in one of the following years: 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, or 2015-16. Additionally, if the student’s parent appealed the decision, the DPI must have affirmed the denial; he/she must have had an active IEP in the last five years; and he/she must be a Wisconsin resident.
The DPI is calling this the “five year look-back period.” This second option is intended to address the problem of currently enrolled private school students, especially those who have never attended a public school, or have never tried enrolling in one through public school open enrollment.
Details to Note on Student Eligibility
WCRIS principals should be advised that after the 2016-17 school year, any private school student currently attending a private school will not be eligible to participate in the SNSP unless he/she leaves the private school and attends public school for one full year prior to applying.
If you intend to join the SNSP and have a current student at your school who would benefit from the program, but he/she has never attended public school or applied through open enrollment the parents must apply to a public school this year through the open enrollment alternative application process, and receive a denial. They must also contact their local public school district to begin the process of creating an IEP for their student. Parents can start applying for the SNSP starting on July 1, 2016.
The 2015-17 budget included a change in acceptable criteria a public school district can use to deny an applicant through open enrollment. Namely, a district can no longer deny students based on financial reasons. Therefore, if a student is accepted through open enrollment or is not able to receive an IEP or services plan at the local public school district he/she is not eligible for the SNSP.
Note: If a parent applies for open enrollment after the open enrollment deadline, the child will automatically be denied. This may be the quickest way to qualify for the SNSP.
