The following Open Enrollment FAQs are being shared at this evening's Prospect Mountain High School Community Open House:
Why have the Prospect Mountain JMA Joint Board and the voters of Alton and Barnstead decided to open PMHS to students who live in other towns?
Student population in the United States has been declining for more than a decade and appears unlikely to rebound in the next decade. New Hampshire had about 210,000 public-school-eligible youth twenty years ago and now has about 160,000. Rural schools across America--and many in our state--are finding that population decline has a wide variety of negative effects on curriculum, activities, athletics, and school spirit.
The PMHS building is not even 20 years old and is in great condition. We have a Woodworking shop, a Metals shop, Fine Arts programs, and a beautiful 800-seat auditorium to support excellent Music education. PMHS is home to one of New Hampshire’s most successful Robotics programs. Rather than see these programs decline with declining enrollment, the communities have decided to open this school to others so that more students can take advantage of the opportunities we offer, and in the process those opportunities may be preserved for students from our two towns.
What are the admissions criteria for Open Enrollment? Is the school open to anybody?
Any student who resides in New Hampshire may apply for admission. If applications exceed the number of seats available in any given year, the law allows Open Enrollment schools to establish admissions criteria based on aptitude, academic achievement, or need, as long as those criteria are directly related to the goals of the Open Enrollment school. This document describes the school’s admissions criteria. If applications ever exceed the available number of seats, this document describes the admissions ranking procedure. Applications may be submitted through May 30 at this link (apply.pmsau.org) or by scanning this QR Code:
Is there a limit to the number of students from outside Alton and Barnstead who can attend PMHS?
PMHS is already sized so that about 30 students could be added to each class without having to add significantly to staffing, facilities, or supplies. Over a four-year period, the board anticipates accepting a total of 100-120 students under Open Enrollment.
For 2025-2026, the JMA Joint Board conducted a public hearing in April to determine how many students may be admitted and plans to allow up to 35 students to be enrolled under open enrollment, including 17 or 18 students who will be returning after the current school year..
What happens if there are more applicants than you have seats available?
This is addressed in the admissions policies and procedures. First, siblings of current students are given admissions preference. After that, admissions are not competitive -- there is no “cut score,” and no applicant is rejected. Application materials and records are scored using rubrics that can be found in the joint board’s admissions policy document. After the fall application period closes at the end of May, these scores are used to create a “ranked list” from which students are admitted in descending order. Once all available seats have been filled, any student remaining on the list will be told that they are on a “waitlist” for rolling admissions. After August 1, as any student withdraws or declines to enroll, the next student on the waitlist will be invited to enroll.
What if Alton and Barnstead, or the JMA Board, decide to end Open Enrollment?
In any year, the Joint Board could vote to stop making Open Enrollment seats available to students from outside Alton and Barnstead. However, if that happened any students already enrolled would be allowed to attend until they graduate.
What will it cost a family to send a student to PMHS?
Nothing. Open Enrollment under RSA 194-D allows public school choice. PMHS will not ask families to pay tuition for Open Enrollment.
Do students’ districts of residence have to pay tuition to PMHS for Open Enrollment students?
RSA 194-D states that students’ districts of residence do pay tuition to open enrollment schools. Since Alton and Barnstead voters adopted the provisions of the RSA, there has been discussion within the New Hampshire school law community about whether this provision applies to all districts, or if special action needs to be taken before a particular town’s students may participate. As of May, 2024, the State Board of Education recently made a decision on a parent appeal against the Pittsfield school board, which had taken the position it does not have to pay tuition for Open Enrollment students at PMHS. The State Board ruled unanimously in favor of the parent’s position, against Pittsfield’s argument, that sending school districts must pay Open Enrollment tuition under the existing law and rules.
Who provides transportation for Open Enrollment students who live outside of Alton or Barnstead?
This is important -- any student attending PMHS under Open Enrollment must provide their own transportation. The school will be open early each morning with quiet study areas available in case that helps families with transportation arrangements.
Where do Open Enrollment students play sports or join clubs?
A student admitted under Open Enrollment is a PMHS student. That includes participation in all the school's programs: academics, extracurriculars, sports… everything. The school’s motto is #WeAreProspect, and that means that once enrolled, students form a group identity where everyone is a part of the same whole. On a day-to-day basis, there will be no difference between the opportunities afforded to Alton and Barnstead students and those available to students who live elsewhere. It is also important to us that all coaches and other PMHS staff comply with NHIAA rules. No athletic recruiting is allowed. Each open enrollment student and his or her parents/guardians will be required to sign an affidavit verifying that the student has not been recruited for athletic purposes.
What if a student has complicated special needs?
Districts of residence are responsible for the special education costs for New Hampshire students who attend school outside of their home districts. At PMHS, any service that is shared by five students or more is considered a shared cost and is part of the school’s per pupil cost.
Costs unique to a student (such as the cost of a 1:1 paraeducator, for example) would be billed back to the student’s district of residence. A special education representative from the student's home district would be included as a member of a student's IEP development team. The SAU 301 District will coordinate funding with students’ districts of residence. This is how special education funding already works in charter schools, so it doesn't require anything from districts that they shouldn’t already be familiar with.
What about attendance at vocational programs?
When a New Hampshire student doesn't attend their local school, they still have access to vocational programs. However, it is not currently clear whether that access would be provided at the vocational center that serves PMHS or at the vocational center serving their town of residence. This is one of the questions that the State Board of education may need to weigh in on when or if the question comes up.* If it is important to a student to attend a vocational program, we recommend considering doing so in their district of residence. However, we are happy to talk about special circumstances with any family.
* As of May, 2024, PMHS has been able to allow open enrollment students to register for programs at the Lakes Region Technology (Wolfeboro) CTE center. Vocational program tuition may be billed to students’ districts of residence.