Policy expert: Utah needs to strengthen its open enrollment practices

When it comes to school choice, education reformers know that merely being good isn’t good enough.

Education expert and former public school teacher Christine Cooke Fairbanks recently published policy recommendations for improving Utah’s current open enrollment policies.

Open enrollment allows students to attend a public school outside their residentially zoned district.

According to a 2024 study in Massachusetts, students who take advantage of open enrollment have higher math and reading scores, increased attendance and on-time graduation rates, are more likely to enroll in and graduate from college and have more successful careers. 

But “address discrimination” – making it difficult or impossible for families to choose a different public school – has become a common practice in the public education system. In the past, it has even been used to reinforce racial segregation.

Fairbanks, now the education policy fellow at the Sutherland Institute, cites surveys that found 1 in 4 parents want to send their children to a public school outside their “zone.” 

A strong majority of Americans (67%) also support ending residential school assignments.

Currently, about 10% – or 5 million – of America’s public school students use open enrollment to attend the public school of their choice.

In Utah’s case, some school choice programs already exist, including open enrollment.

In fact, the American Legislative Exchange Council recently gave Utah the grade of A- for parental empowerment in education freedom. Its strongest category was open enrollment, which received an A.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.

Fairbanks’ research shows many local school districts fail to report open enrollment data, a violation of state requirements.

That’s why, she argues, such data should be reported and available to the public at both the local and state levels.  

Fairbanks also believes schools should be required to give a reason when an open enrollment application is denied. Doing so promotes transparency, accountability and trust between families and the school system.

“While Utah has made great strides in increasing funds for public schools and simultaneously providing families with scholarships for private education, there are problematic gaps in its open enrollment policy and implementation that should be filled,” Fairbanks writes.

“Doing so will further improve public education as part of the choice landscape for students and their families.”