Austin Wahlers is a special education student. The school building where Austin attended caught fire and was closed, causing Austin and his classmates to be moved to a different building in a different community within the River Valley School District. His parents filed for open enrollment in March 1998 because they did not feel Austin was adjusting to his new environment and teachers at the new building. The River Valley Board of Directors denied the Wahlers' open enrollment request due to it being filed after the January 1 deadline.

The administrative law judge and hearing panel saw no error in the decision of the Board of the District and found the Board's decision consistent with state law. The local Board's decision was affirmed.