MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
BUHLER, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 will open enrollment for the upcoming school year earlier than usual, Superintendent Cindy Couchman said Wednesday on the BW Morning Show.
“We’re going to change some things this year,” Couchman said. “We usually open enrollment at Buhler schools in July, and we’re going to change that this year for our families. We’re getting ready to push something out about it pretty soon, and we’re actually going to start enrollment in May this year, while we still have kids in the buildings.”
The district is moving up the enrollment timeline to get a better idea of who is returning in the fall.
LINK: BW Morning Show Interview: Cindy Couchman USD 313 Superintendent
Couchman said families will enroll in May the same way they have during the summer in past years — with one key difference: no payment will be required at that time.
Instead, in July, the district will send out a link for families to complete the final steps of enrollment. That includes paying enrollment fees, filling out the free and reduced lunch application, and completing the Communities That Care form.
"That's to help us as a school system know how many people we're going to have, get them enrolled, go ahead and assign teachers — all those procedures — and also help us with setting capacity," Couchman said. "And our capacity is going to be set quite a bit higher this year, which means we can take more students."
She encouraged families interested in enrolling their student in Buhler schools — especially those outside district boundaries — to complete the proper forms in order to be entered into the state-mandated lottery.
“If you're a homeschool student, an out-of-district student, or your student is moving into the area, we are setting our capacity high enough that we think we’re going to be able to take more students this year through that process,” Couchman said. “If you're an out-of-district student, a homeschool student, or a student who has been in private school and you’re not currently living within district boundaries, there is a new process.”
She explained that families must fill out a form indicating they want to attend Buhler schools. The state legislature established the open enrollment lottery process last session. Last year was the district’s first time using the system.