The Relationship Between Open Enrollment and School Bond Voting

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify an association between student mobility through open enrollment and voter support for school bond proposals. Specifically, we hypothesized that higher percentages of nonresident enrollment in a school district and resident exit from a district would be associated with lower levels of voter support for bond proposals. Data Collection and Analysis: We utilized publicly available data on bond proposals placed on ballots between 2009 and 2015, publicly available data from the State of Michigan for information on percentages of nonresident enrollment and resident exit, and publicly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau for data on district resident characteristics. Regression analysis was used to identify associations between nonresident enrollment and resident exit with the percentage of “yes” votes on school bond proposals controlling for community and resident characteristics. Findings: We failed to reject the null hypotheses, finding no statistically significant association between nonresident enrollment and resident exit and average voter support for school bond proposals, ceteris paribus. Implications for Research/Practice: We laid some groundwork for reconceptualizing the relationship between open enrollment policies and communities’ willingness to support local public schools. This has potential implications for both local- and state-level policies regarding enrollment issues and issues of school finance. As local boards continue to struggle with budget shortfalls and mounting capital needs, they may need to further weigh their own communities’ interest in supporting local public schools in the wake of increased student mobility in and out of districts.