Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. On this episode of the Supercast, find out more about the open enrollment process and what parents need to know about the permit window, which is now open. First, a brief summary. Jordan School District is now accepting applications for School Choice Open Enrollment for the 2022-23 school year. Students currently attending on a school choice permit do not have to reapply for a permit if they are remaining at the same school for the 2022-23 school year. However, students who want to move schools or any student currently on the waitlist without a permit must reapply to become considered for a 2022-23 permit.

We're here to talk about permits today. Caleb, why don't you introduce yourself?

Caleb Olson:
Thanks. My name's Caleb Olson. I am currently working as the Planning and Enrollment consultant. I have several things in the district that I get to be responsible for, but one of them is the permit process.

Anthony Godfrey:
First of all, for those who may not understand exactly what a permit is, talk to us about how permits work and what they are.

Caleb Olson:
All right, let me give you a little bit of an example if I could. So I think anyone who's probably listening to the podcast has been in a big restaurant or seen a big restaurant that has a bunch of tables and lots of people and a lot of places you can go. When you go to a restaurant like that, they always find a place for you to sit. And you may say to the host at the entrance, you know, I want to sit in a booth or I want to sit by a window or here's where I'd like to be. Sometimes they can accommodate that. And sometimes they just find the spot that you are going to be able to sit in.

Anthony Godfrey:
For me, it's close to the salad bar. That's where I want to be.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. So that's sort of how the permit process works in Jordan School District. Everyone has a seat at a school. For most students, that's going to be at their boundary school or their neighborhood school, but there are some people who have a preference. That means they want to attend a different school. They wanna go to someplace else. They may have childcare concerns, or they may want to attend a school that they actually live closer to but they're on the other side of the boundaries. The permit process allows a student who doesn't live in the boundaries of a school to apply for a seat at that school. Now not every school in the district has seats available, but every school is taking those applications. And once those applications come in, we process them. And when seats are available, we offer those to students who live outside the boundaries to attend the school that they wanted to go to.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, State law is very supportive of the concept of parents choosing the school that they wish to attend. I know that my brother lives in Maryland and you attend the school where you live. You attend schools based on where you live and there really isn't an option for changing that. But in Utah, for many years, the law has supported a choice for parents in what school they would like their student to attend.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. We h