Board Policy JBC: School Admissions

School Admissions

1. SCHOOL ADMISSION BASED ON RESIDENCY

Students who reside in the DeKalb County School District are eligible to attend a District school.

For purposes of this Policy, a student’s residence is:

1. The residence of the student’s parent, which is either:

2. The residence of both parents, if the parents are married;

3. The residence of the parent having lawful physical custody, if the parents are divorced or separated; or

4. The mother, if the student was born out of wedlock and the father has not been granted custodial rights;

5. The residence of the student’s legal guardian or any person who has been granted lawful physical custody of the student, including:

6. A guardian assigned by a court; or

7. A foster parent assigned by the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Family and Children’s Services;

8. The residence of the student’s grandparent, if the grandparent has a properly executed power of attorney for the care of the child pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 19-9-120 et seq.;

9. The residence of the student’s custodial parent, noncustodial parent, or other person standing in loco parentis if the student is a transitioning military child;

10. The residence determined in accordance with Policy JBC(1) if the student is a homeless child or youth, as defined by federal law;

11. The residence as determined in accordance with Policy JQKA if the student is a foreign student.

In disputes regarding whether a student’s residence is located in the DeKalb County School District, the location of the dwelling on the official tax records and maps of DeKalb County will be the deciding factor. In cases where the dwelling or parcel of land containing the dwelling is located on the district line, 51 percent of the square footage of the dwelling must be located in the DeKalb County School District.

The parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of a student shall notify the student’s school immediately if any change in residence occurs.

The Superintendent or designee shall remove from the District any student who is not entitled by law or Board policy to attend school in the District. If a student is entitled by law or Board policy to attend school in the District but not in the particular District school in which the student is enrolled, the Superintendent or designee shall transfer the student to the appropriate District school.

1. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR ENROLLMENT

The following documentation shall be required for all children seeking to enroll in a school in the District.

1. Proof of Residency

Persons registering a student on the basis of the student’s residency in the District shall submit appropriate proof of residency upon initial enrollment in the District, upon entry into sixth and ninth grades, upon transfer to another District school, and as may be required by school administration. A list of the documents that may serve as proof of residency will be published on the District’s website.

All questionable residency situations shall be referred to the appropriate District staff for further investigation. If proof of residency is delayed, the student will be provisionally enrolled pursuant to Section IV of this Policy.

1. Proof of Custody or Guardianship

If the person registering the student is not the student’s parent, or if questions arise concerning the custody of the student, a copy of the court order or other document showing custody or guardianship must be presented to school officials and filed in the student’s permanent record.

1. Evidence of Date of Birth

A birth certificate or other acceptable evidence showing the child’s date of birth is required for each child seeking to enroll in a District school. In the absence of a birth certificate, other acceptable evidence is limited to the following:

1. A military ID;

2. A valid driver’s license;

3. A passport;

4. An adoption record;

5. A religious record signed by an authorized religious official;

6. An official school transcript; or

7. An affidavit of age sworn to by the parent, guardian, grandparent, or other person, accompanied by a certificate of age signed by a practicing physician, which certificate states that the physician has examined the child and believes that the age as stated in the affidavit is substantially correct.

8. Immunization

A student will not be admitted to a District school unless the student has complied with the immunization requirements set forth in state law and in the Rules and Regulations of the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

A person registering a student for enrollment in the District must provide to school officials a certificate from a physician licensed under the laws of Georgia or a local public health department confirming that the child has been immunized before the child can be admitted to school. This certificate must be on a form provided by the Department of Human Resources.

This requirement may be waived for medical or religious reasons as allowed by state law, provided that appropriate documentation of the basis is furnished to school officials.

1. Nutritional Screening and Eye, Ear, and Dental Examinations

All students seeking to register for enrollment in the District shall provide certification of nutritional screening and eye, ear, and dental examinations as required by state law.

1. Social Security Number

A person seeking to register a student for enrollment in the District shall provide to school officials an official copy of the student’s social security number or a waiver objecting to furnishing the social security number. No student shall be denied enrollment for declining to furnish or apply for a social security number. A student’s social security number shall be considered a confidential student record.

Prior to the beginning of each school year, the Superintendent or designee shall publish on the District website, or elsewhere as appropriate, public notice of the information required of students enrolling in the District. Such public notice shall be provided in English and any other language then prevalent in the District and shall include the statement, “No student shall be denied enrollment in the DeKalb County School District for declining to provide a Social Security number or for declining to apply for such a number.”

At the time of initial enrollment of a student, or at the beginning of a school year for a student already enrolled but who has not previously provided a Social Security number, the school shall provide a notice to the parent, guardian, or other person enrolling the student that is in a language appropriate for that individual and contains the following information:

1. The student’s Social Security number is requested;

2. Providing the Social Security number is voluntary;

3. The purpose for which the Social Security number will be used; and

4. The District is authorized to request the provision of the student’s Social Security number under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-150(d). A student applying for a Social Security number shall be provided with a temporary alternate number, and a student who does not provide or apply for a Social Security number shall be provided with a permanent alternate number.

5. Additional Documentation

The District may require documentation in addition to that specified in this Policy. A list of required documentation will be published on the District’s website prior to the beginning of each school year.

1. Students Transferring from Non-District Schools

A student transferring from a non-District school to a District school shall present a registration record and a certified transcript of the academic record from the school previously attended. A transferring student applying for admission to seventh grade or higher shall also present a certified copy of his or her disciplinary record from the school previously attended or may be admitted on a conditional basis if he or she and his or her parent or legal guardian executes a document providing the name and address of the school last attended and authorizing the release of all academic and disciplinary records to the school administration.

A student who has been suspended or expelled from a non-District school may be refused enrollment in the District during the period of such suspension or expulsion, upon receipt by the District of a certified copy of the disciplinary order imposing suspension or expulsion.

1. IMMIGRATION AND VISA STATUS

The District is not responsible for making determinations regarding immigration and visa status. In accordance with controlling case law, the District shall enroll all immigrant students who meet the District’s age, residency, and other enrollment requirements and shall not inquire into the student’s or the family’s legal status.

1. Provisional Enrollment

Children may be enrolled on a provisional basis for 30 calendar days while awaiting evidence of residence, age, immunization, or other requirements. The provisional enrollment period may be extended for extenuating circumstances.