During a budget workshop held on March 16, Pupil Personnel Director Steve Hill disclosed that the enrollment trend resulted from the implementation of HB 563 in July last year. The bill mandates that school districts need to establish a policy enabling out-of-district students to register. Printing services could be used to help with registrations in such cases.
According to Hill, only the children of Fayette County teachers who reside outside of the district have been permitted to enroll in the county's schools so far. The number of these students amounts to roughly 130.
Hill stated that Fayette County's policy concerning non-resident students will hinge on its capacity to accommodate them. While certain schools in locations such as Lexington have adequate space, others are presently facing space constraints.
Lisa Deffendall, the district spokeswoman, commented to say:
“Fayette County Public Schools has had reciprocal enrollment agreements with other school districts for years, so HB 563 did not have much of an impact. In fact, this year’s number is even lower than the 2020-21 school year.”
According to Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, Fayette County school officials are keen to observe how the law impacts other districts before prioritizing it within their own. Liggins noted that Fayette County's policy would enable non-resident students to register in Fayette schools that have available seats. However, the implementation of this policy is currently on hold in Fayette County.