The Board of Education (BOE) on Sept. 10 approved a policy allowing non-resident students to pay tuition and attend Madison public schools, though the policy is not likely to be fully implemented until fall 2020, according to Superintendent of Schools Tom Scarice.

According to the policy, the superintendent or his or her designee will have the power to accept non-Madison students providing that the student’s parents or guardians pay tuition based on a standard calculation of per-pupil expenditure as determined by the state. Admission will also be dependent on the superintendent’s approval and recommendations from the student’s current school administrators.

Scarice emphasized that the policy gave Madison broad authority to approve or deny enrollment. The policy states that decisions on individual students will be made based on “class size and other considerations such as the availability of resources.” Scarice referred to current BOE guidelines on class sizes, which vary by grade level but sets a maximum recommended number of 24 students in grades 3 to 8 and in two out of three levels of high school classes.

Keeping class sizes small, as well as ensuring there will be space for students whose families move to Madison will also be priorities, according to Scarice.

Scarice said that one of the primary catalysts of adding the policy was to allow Madison to continue its extensive offering of electives and extracurriculars. Scarice said the focus was on academic programs, including an extensive selection of AP and other advanced classes, which the district might lose if it did not have students enrolling in them.

At an Aug. 27 BOE meeting, Scarice said based on current numbers in the lower grades, Daniel Hand High School’s enrollment was projected to fall to around 800 students “in the next few years,” down from around 1,150 now. Scarice said bringing in students from outside the district could “insulate” some of the district’s programs.

Speaking to The Source, Scarice described the wide variety of academic offerings Madison has been able to provide its students, including many classes that are not offered in nearby districts. He said the goal is to “maintain that breadth” with the new policy.

Parents and guardians of non-resident students will be responsible for any and all costs associated with their child attending Madison schools. Transportation must be provided by either the sending district or by the student’s parents or guardians.

The policy also allows Madison to charge parents and guardians for any supplemental services that might be required for a student to attend, but specifically disallows the district from hiring additional staff to meet a specific out-of-district student’s needs. As far as special education services, Scarice said there would be a collaborative relationship with the sending district similar to how magnet schools operate, but that Madison would again, not be responsible for any extra costs.

The current state cost estimate for a student to attend Madison schools is about $20,000 a year.

As far as the process of selecting students who apply, Scarice said having conversations with the sending district and ensuring that Madison could meet all of that student’s needs would be primary factors. The policy only allows for an out-of-district student to be admitted for one year at a time.

“When it comes to the decision to terminate enrollment, the district reserves the right to determine whether or not it is in the best interest of the school system...or even in the best interest of the student. It’s [a] broad criteria for us to use,” Scarice said.

The district is still building the specific mechanism of how out-of-district students would apply on an annual basis, Scarice said, but that a student’s ability to follow Madison’s code of conduct would be “critical” in that annual determination.

Going forward, Scarice said it was possible that this year might include a “very small scale” pilot program, but that the district would focus on educating residents and marketing the program digitally and at open houses in preparation for a “broad scale” launch next year.

At what school and grade level those initial pilot students might be accepted depends mostly on class sizes, Scarice said, and has yet to be determined.

Scarice said that allowing non-resident students in Madison schools had been considered about three years ago, but that the discussion had been somewhat overshadowed as Island Elementary School closed and the district reconfigured.

The non-resident admission and tuition policy can be read in full at www.madison.k12.ct.us.