Non-Resident Open Enrollment Criteria
- 4K - 12th Grade Student with a record clear of expulsions
- (Odyssey Academy of Virtual Learning does not accept Open Enrollment Applications for students entering 4K or Grade 12)
- Wisconsin Resident
- Non-Resident - student does not live in the Ripon Area School District radius
STEP ONE: Open Enrollment Process for Non-Resident Students
- Families that currently reside outside of the Ripon Area School District must complete the open enrollment process. Apply for open enrollment through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The window to submit applications to the DPI runs from February 2, 2026 - April 30, 2026 at 4:00 pm.
- If the open enrollment deadline has passed, complete the Alternative Open Enrollment Application through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction after July 1, 2026. Alternative Applications can be sent to our district registrar at registrar@ripon.k12.wi.us. Please wait patiently as it can take up to 10 days for applications to be processed and a decision to be made. Families will receive notification of the application decision via email.
IMPORTANT NOTE: By Wisconsin State Statute, parents are only allowed to apply ONE time in a specific school district for enrollment through the open-enrollment process; therefore, if you apply during the regular open-enrollment period and are denied due to space, you are not allowed to use the alternative open-enrollment process to re-apply, even if there is space available during any given school year. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Department of Public Instruction.
STEP TWO: District Registration
District Enrollment for new families (either resident or newly accepted open-enrolled) is the next step. This is done through the Families tab on our website on the Student Enrollment and Registration Page. If you have any questions along the way please contact our registrar at registrar@ripon.k12.wi.us or (920) 748-4600.
Open-enrolled students must receive an ACCEPTANCE NOTICE before completing the District Registration.
STEP THREE: Additional Paperwork
Once the District Registration is completed, you may wish to complete the Free/Reduced Application or may need to turn in some additional items if you did not do so online. Additional documents can be directly emailed to our registrar at registrar@ripon.k12.wi.us or dropped off at the District Office, 1120 Metomen Street, Ripon.
- Free/Reduced Application
- Birth Certificate
- Guardianship Documentation (if applicable)
- High School Transcript (if applicable)
- Special Education Records (if applicable)
Do Students Need to Reapply for Open Enrollment Every Year?
Once a pupil is accepted into a nonresident school district, the pupil may continue to attend that district without reapplication, except that:
- The nonresident district may require a pupil to reapply one time, at the beginning of middle school, junior high or high school.
- The pupil may be returned to the resident school district if the special education required in the new or revised IEP is not available in the nonresident district or there is no space.
- A pupil who has become habitually truant in the nonresident district may be returned to the resident district
