During the last week of October 1997, Beth Randolph moved in with the Parsons family under an arrangement with the Family Services Program of Missouri. The Parsons have two daughters who became friends with Beth during the time that the Parsons family lived in Missouri. Mrs. Parsons was Beth's teacher there. The Parsons' girls attend school in Ottumwa under open enrollment. Immediately after Beth came to live with them, Mrs. Parsons filed an open enrollment application with the Cardinal Community School District for Beth to attend school in Ottumwa. The Cardinal Board of Education denied the application at its Board meeting on November 10, 1997, because the application was filed after the June 30th deadline that allows for late-filed applications with "good cause". Although there was no error on the part of the Cardinal District Board in denying this application, the administrative law judge and the hearing panel find that the evidence overwhelmingly supports the need for Beth Randolph to attend in the Ottumwa Community School District so that she can be with the two Parsons' daughters.

Therefore, it is recommended that the State Board exercise its discretion under subsection 282.18(18), Code of Iowa (1997), to "achieve just and equitable results which are in the best interest of the affected child...." and that Beth's open enrollment application to the Ottumwa Community School District be approved. It was recommended that the decision of the Board of Directors of the Cardinal Community School District, made on November 10,1997, which denied Mrs. Parsons' application for open enrollment for Beth Randolph to attend school in the Ottumwa District be reversed.