West Side extends welcome to current student transfers for next year, as it haggles over future policy
A decision on where West Lafayette schools, facing declining enrollment and property tax referendum questions, go on student transfers beyond that expected in February.
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WEST SIDE EXTENDS WELCOME TO CURRENT STUDENT TRANSFERS FOR 2026-27, AS IT HAGGLES OVER FUTURE POLICY
West Lafayette schools will allow transfer students from Tippecanoe School Corp. who are already enrolled at West Side to remain for the 2026-27 school year, the school board agreed Monday night.
But the school board held off for another month on a similar proposal to clear the way for families looking to transfer their students into West Lafayette schools for the first time for the 2026-27 academic year.
The moves came as the school board sorts through recent surveys; prepares for a series of parent, teacher and patron focus groups scheduled this week; and an expected consultant’s report after that in an ongoing debate over the district’s policy in the wake of changes in state law.
Amy Austin, the school board president, proposed offering the assurances for the next school year, as the district’s administrative office fields calls about what to expect. Superintendent Shawn Greiner said administrators were looking for guidance about what to tell families of current and prospective transfer students while the board mulls what to do.
“I don’t want to be presumptuous,” Greiner said.
While there were some misgivings about the timing of the move – board member Dacia Mumford suggested that making a decision before getting feedback from scheduled focus groups, with more than 100 people signed up, was the same as telling the community “we’re not even waiting to listen to it” – the board unanimously agreed to keep places next year for current transfer students from neighboring Tippecanoe School Corp.
