Richardson ISD will loosen restrictions on inter-district transfers for the 2025-26 school year after the board of trustees voted to approve opening enrollment to non-resident students.
Richardson ISD
At a Feb. 20 board meeting, trustees voted to approve staff to proceed with a plan to open enrollment to inter-district transfers. The measure was brought to the board after being recommended by the community budget steering committee.
Under the plan, RISD will begin accepting applications for inter-district transfers in mid-April. The application period will last until mid-May, with decisions issued in July. RISD residents will be prioritized in the enrollment process and that only schools with “excess capacity” will be open for inter-district transfers, according to a release.
With the exception of families of district staff, inter-district transfers in RISD have historically been limited. Under the district’s current transfer policies, inter-district transfers are only allowed in limited circumstances, such as when a student moves mid-year or before their senior year of high school.
To apply, families will need to submit proof of residence, attendance records, past report cards, STAAR results and their student’s discipline record. Applications will be assessed using these materials and a point-based rubric.
Prospective families will select three desired campuses in their application. Once an applicant is assigned to a campus, families must accept or decline the placement within 2 weeks. Families will reapply each year and enrollment can be revoked due to attendance or disciplinary issues. Non-resident children of teachers will still receive precedence in placement.
At the January meeting, where the topic was first discussed, staff indicated that enrollment would likely open to an initial group of around 150 inter-district transfer students. It is unclear whether or not inter-district enrollment will be phased in as a primary-only, secondary-only or system-wide model.
Garland ISD, Dallas ISD and Plano ISD currently use open enrollment models.
The shift is part of a response by RISD to worsening financial conditions. Currently facing an eight-figure deficit, the district’s budget has been hampered by rising costs, declining enrollment fueled by plummeting birth rates and the fact that the state has not increased the basic allotment per student since 2019.
