The Student Migration section of Munetrix is based on the Non-Resident Status database from the CEPI website. The reports reflect students who live in one district (Resident District) but attend school in a different district (Operating District).
The data are important because it shows the number of students that choose to attend schools in districts they don’t live in. The data give us a sense of how many families are exercising their options for schools of choice across district boundaries. You can use the data to see where students are going if they leave their school to attend another school, or where students are coming from when entering their school from another district, local education agency district, or public school academy (PSA, or charter school).
Michigan law permits students to attend schools outside of their district of residency through charter schools, school of choice programs, or other cooperative agreements. Parents of resident students can decide which school within their district they will attend, and non-resident students can enroll in a district other than their own. Participation in these programs is optional, so interested families contact the district for information about the availability of programs in their area.
A cooperative agreement involves a written voluntary agreement among districts to provide educational programs for pupils in certain circumstances; for example, special services like a school designed for special education, career technical education, or blind and visually impaired students from surrounding areas and districts. The agreement may be between districts in different intermediate school districts or counties. A receiving district must have a release from the resident district to count a nonresident student. A cooperative choice agreement may limit the number of students participating in the program.
PSAs are publicly funded schools authorized by public bodies, and are considered a district under Michigan law. However, PSAs don’t have their own residency statuses because they do not have a defined geographic boundary. When you select a public school academy or charter school in this report, you'll only see the students as entering the district.