SLU/YouGov Analysis: School Open Enrollment Policies Popular with Missouri Voters

The SLU PRiME Center’s Courtney Vahle, Ed.D., and Abigail Medler provide expert analysis on the latest SLU/YouGov Poll results as they pertain to open enrollment policies.

Open enrollment is a term used to describe the policies allowing students to transfer from their residential school district (i.e., the district that serves the address where they live) to another district outside of the boundaries of their current address (a nonresidential district). Allowing students to attend schools outside of their residential districts has been discussed by the Missouri Legislature for many years, with seven of Missouri’s eight border states having interdistrict open enrollment policies. In January 2024, an open enrollment bill passed in the Missouri House for the fourth consecutive year, sponsored by Rep. Brad Pollitt, a Sedalia Republican. Proponents say open enrollment policies support school choice for people who do not necessarily want to move out of their districts to attend different schools, while others worry that it could lead to small rural districts fighting to stay open against districts that have more resources, forcing closures and consolidations.

The SLU/YouGov Poll asked likely Missouri voters if they support or oppose allowing students to enroll in public schools outside of the school district where they live. Fifty-nine percent support or strongly support this option, with more backing overall from Republicans. Younger respondents were also more likely to favor the open enrollment policy, with 72% of those ages 18–29 supporting or strongly supporting the measure. Support steadily decreased in each age bracket of likely voters, with a 55% support rate from those 65 and older.

However, when asked whether they would support or oppose allowing students to enroll in public school districts outside of their residential district, excluding charter schools, support dwindled from 59% to 45% and leveled the partisan split. This measure was also more favored by younger likely voters. Currently, charter schools in Missouri can only operate in St. Louis and Kansas City. Recent legislation has made efforts to expand charter schools to three Missouri counties: St. Louis County, Boone County and St. Charles County.

Student mobility (i.e., the rate at which students move schools) in the state of Missouri in 2023 was over 20%. Mobility can have many causes, such as school choice or moving to an address outside of a school district’s boundaries. Likely voters were polled regarding students who attend a residential school but then move out of the district boundaries. More than three-fourths (77%) of respondents said that they would support or strongly support allowing students enrolled in a district’s school to remain in that district’s school for the complete school year if they move out of the district. When asked about allowing students who move to remain in the district’s schools until high school graduation, those who would support or strongly support this option dropped to 55%.

Both measures had nearly equal partisan support but drastically more support from younger voters. Ninety percent of 18–29-year-olds said they would support or strongly support allowing students to stay for the remainder of the school year, falling to 71% for those 65 or older. Support for allowing students to stay through high school graduation also dwindled as voter age increased (71% for 18–29-year-olds, 62% for 30–44-year-olds, 51% for 45–64-year-olds, and just 45% for those 65+).

Findings from the SLU/YouGov poll suggest that overall, likely voters support open enrollment policies. Missourians widely supported students’ ability to remain enrolled in a district for the remainder of the school year if they move but are more opposed to allowing the student to finish their high school career there.

This analysis is based on data from the February 2024 SLU/YouGov poll and reflects the opinion of the authors.