Buzzing through the halls of Perry, any student can see overcrowding of an ever growing school. Shoulder to shoulder, the clumps of students anxiously rushing to their next class is slowed by the limited room. Many pumas are in boundaries; however, some are here on a boundary exception.

Arizona is one of 22 states that have an Open Enrollment policy. As defined by Arizona School Choice, “Arizona state law allows students to apply for admission to any public school, based on available classroom space.” Perry which is built for 2800 students has slowly growing to 3200 students. However, when will the school draw the line?

The class of 2017 has 827 students and the class of 2018 has 939 students. Both of these classes surpassed previous expectations and are the largest in Perry history. Assistant principal Joe Greene estimates that of the total student body, 15 percent are Open Enrollment students.

A hurdle for out of boundary students is the renewal of their documents. If the student intends to stay at the school within the Chandler District, then the open enrollment form must be resubmitted every year.

“Open enrollment numbers for next year haven’t really peaked [because] it is too early…” Principal Dan Serrano states about the upcoming school year, “I anticipate we will continue to get a lot…from the Higley School District and the Gilbert District which is just down the road.”
Hundreds of prospective students will be signing the “golden ticket” for their future in the Chandler Unified School District in the coming weeks. Thanks to the laws in Arizona, incoming individuals can diversify the campus and have access to a school with an A+ education and innovative ideas.