Michigan Schools of Choice
Michigan's Schools of Choice (SOC) law allows students to attend public schools outside their home district at no charge, with the per-pupil foundation allowance following the student. Michigan is one of the most permissive states for inter-district enrollment — districts cannot be required to accept out-of-district students, but most participate. In Kent County, roughly 10–15% of students attend a district other than their district of residence.
For gaining districts like FHPS, SOC provides enrollment stability and additional per-pupil revenue. For losing districts (often urban districts serving lower-income populations), it represents a funding drain — money leaving for neighboring districts. The program is both praised as expanding educational opportunity and criticized for accelerating educational inequality.
Source: Michigan Department of Education — Schools of Choice
The Two Sides
- Families — not zip codes — should determine which school a child attends
- Competition from SOC incentivizes all districts to improve; districts that improve attract students and the funding that follows
- Students in struggling districts can access better-performing schools without waiting for systemic reform
- Families with information, transportation, and time to navigate SOC enrollment are disproportionately affluent — the program is not equally accessible
- Urban districts losing students to suburban SOC must cut programs for those who remain
- Michigan's funding formula treats all students equally, but districts with concentrated poverty have higher per-student costs — SOC enrollment loss makes serving remaining high-need students harder
FHPS Schools of Choice Policy
Forest Hills Public Schools participates in the Kent County inter-district Schools of Choice program and annually accepts a limited number of out-of-district students. FHPS is a net SOC gainer — more students transfer in than out — reflecting the district's reputation. The District periodically reviews its SOC enrollment cap and policies at Board of Education meetings.
What to Watch
- Fall 2026 — FHPS Schools of Choice enrollment window for 2026–27; applications typically open in spring
- FY2027 state budget — The per-pupil foundation allowance determines what each Schools of Choice student is worth; Governor's budget proposed in February, final budget by October
- November 2026 — FHPS board election results will shape how aggressively the district markets Schools of Choice enrollment
Source: Forest Hills Public Schools · Michigan Department of Education — Schools of Choice