Descriptor Term: STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: REVISED: REVISED:

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

The Jackson County School District exists to provide publicly supported education to district residents. A child’s residence is the residence of his or her parents or full legal guardian.

The Jackson County School District will not recognize or accept guardianship documents for

“health and school purposes only. Partial guardianship of the student by a resident within the district will not be recognized as meeting full legal guardianship.

The district will enroll non-resident students only to the extent required by law or under extreme circumstances as appropriate under procedures outlined by the State Board of Education and with the approval of the Jackson County School Board.

Wards of a public welfare department living in foster homes within the district are considered as residents of the district.

District approved exchange students residing in a home within the district are considered as having legal residence.

Students who are married, but who have not reached the age of majority, shall be considered majority, provided they have residence within the bounds of the Jackson County School District.

The parent or legal guardian of students attending schools of the Jackson County School District will be required to show proof of residence as required by the Mississippi State Board of Education in the following manner:

I. Definition of residence for school attendance purposes:

The student physically resides full time, weekdays/nights and weekends, with the parent or guardian, at a place of abode located within the limits of the school district.

1. All school districts will require students who are seeking to enroll in the school district to register at the school they are assigned to attend. The school district shall verify the residence of each student.

2. Any new student enrolling or entering the school district or any continuing students whose residence has changed will be required to verify their residence address as herein provided as a part of the registration process.

3. The parents or guardians of continuing students whose residency has not changed shall provide proof of residency in person at a time designated by the District. All students, continuing and new to the district must register using the District’s Online Registration Process.

II. Procedure

1. Each new student or student whose residence has changed must establish his or her residency in the following manner:

a. STUDENTS LIVING WITH PARENTS OR GUARDIAN

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

The parent or legal guardian of a student seeking to enroll must provide the school district with a least two of the items numbered (1) through (6) below as verification of their address. No documents with a post office box as an address will be accepted:

1. Filed Homestead Exemption Application Form;

2. Mortgage Statement or property deed; No property tax documents 3. Apartment or home lease;

4. Current Utility bills; (Per MDE, NO cut-off or disconnect notices); No car/home insurance statements; no cell phone bills; no hunting licenses; Bill must be current, within 30 days of date of registration 5. Driver’s license or Mississippi State-Issued Identification Card; (Must

show current address)

6. Automobile registration; (Must be current year’s registration, not expired)

At a minimum, the district shall maintain in a file a written instrument identifying the types of documents used to verify each student's residency and copies of any relevant guardianship petition or decree.

When satisfactory evidence is presented that a family with school age children plans to move into the school district, the Assistant Superintendent of the Attendance Center, which the student(s) will attend may waive the residency requirement for a period of time, not exceed 30 days, during which time the family will provide transportation for the student(s).

In all cases the Superintendent of Education shall be notified in writing from the Attendance Center of the circumstances surrounding the enrollment of such student(s) within one week of admission. If, at the conclusion of the 30-day waiver, the family is unable to provide sufficient and verifiable proof of residency, the school age children will be withdrawn until sufficient and verifiable proof of residency is presented and approved by the Attendance Center Assistant Superintendent.

b. HOMELESS STUDENTS

When a child is determined to be homeless as defined by the Stewart B.

McKinney Act 42 USC Sections 11431(1), and 11432(e) (4) and 11302(a), the school district shall consider and take enrollment action that is in the best interest of the child pursuant to 42 USC 11432(e) (3).

c. PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS WITHOUT PERMANENT RESIDENCE (AFFIDAVITS) (1) The non-parent claiming district residency must meet the criteria of subparagraph (a) (1) through (6), required of a parent or legal guardian.

(2) In addition to providing two proofs of residency, the district resident must provide the district official with an affidavit stating his or her relationship to the parent/guardian, and certify that the parent/guardian will be living at his/her abode full time with the student, and provide documentation fully explaining the reason(s) (other than school attendance zone or district

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

preference) for this arrangement. The local school board or its designee will make the necessary factual determinations under subsection II.1(c)(2).

An Affidavit of Residency for a student(s) will remain in effect only for the academic year for which it is filed. Use of an Affidavit of Residency may not be allowed for more than one academic school year. If any irregularity regarding the validity of an Affidavit is discovered, that parent/guardian will not be allowed to utilize an Affidavit of Residency option and the Jackson County Resident establishing residency for the parent/guardian will not be allowed to provide residency for any other parent/guardian through an Affidavit. Residency may be verified by the School Resource Officer and/or School Administrator between the hours of 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

c. STUDENTS LIVING WITH NON-CUSTODIAL ADULT

Examples of situations where "in loco parentis" authority of an adult should be recognized to establish residency of the minor include but are not limited to the following:

(a) Death, serious illness, or incarceration of the child's parent(s) or guardian(s); (documentation required) (b) Abandonment of the child;

(c) Child abuse or neglect;

(d) Unstable family relationships or undesirable conditions in the home of the child's parents or guardians having a

detrimental effect on the child;

(e) Students enrolled in recognized exchange programs residing with host families.

Whenever appropriate the person who has assumed responsibility for the care and custody of the child shall be required to obtain legal guardianship of the child.

The requirements of Section II.1(a) and (c) above are minimum requirements and the school district may require additional documentation and verification at any time.

In cases of guardianship, no temporary enrollment shall be processed except by the Assistant Superintendent of the District and/or by her designee and only in emergency circumstances. Temporary enrollment may be granted for no more than 30 days. If after 30 days, the adult seeking registration of student(s) cannot provide legal guardianship

documentation, a referral to the Department of Human Services (DHS) will be made.

Pending review of guardianship by DHS, student(s) will remain enrolled in Jackson County School District.

The provisions of this policy do not apply to students who reside outside the school district, but who have legally transferred into the school district.

The requirements of Section II.1 (a) are minimum requirements and the school district may require additional documentation and verification at any time.

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

RESIDENCY REGISTRATION VERIFICATION CHECKLIST

Student Name: __________________________________________ Grade: _________

Parent/Legal Guardian Name: ____________________________________________________

Legal Address: __________________________________ _____________ ______ ______

(P. O. Box is not acceptable for an address)

CITY STATE ZIP

Telephone Number

Primary Number Work - Father Work - Mother

Documents provided by Parent/Guardian or Student:

(Minimum of two required of all students – One of which MUST be a Utility Bill)

______ 1. Filed Homestead Exemption Application Form

______ 2. Mortgage Statement; Property Deed (No property tax records) ______ 3. Apartment or Home Lease;

______ 4. Current Utility Bills (PER MDE, NO DISCONNECT NOTICES); No car/home insurance statements; no cell phone bills; no hunting licenses; bills must be dated within 30 days of registration. Bill must be current, within 30 days of registration. No car/home insurance statements;

______ 5. Driver’s License or Mississippi State-Issued Identification Card; (Must show current address;

______6. Automobile Registration (Must be current year’s registration, not expired) I, ____________________________________, parent/legal guardian of __________________

(Parent/Legal Guardian Name) please print

verify that the proofs of residency submitted to Jackson County School District are a true and accurate representation of my legal residence.

_______________________________________ _________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date

==============================================================================

OFFICE USE ONLY

I, ______________________________ verify that I have seen and approved this student’s

(PLEASE PRINT DISTRICT EMPLOYEE NAME)

residency documents as indicated on this form.

_______________________________ ____________

District Employee Signature Date

 Copy of this form to the parent (parents/guardians, please retain for your records)

 Original filed in student’s cumulative folder

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

Affidavit of Residency Instructions

If a parent or guardian is using an affidavit from a LEGAL JACKSON COUNTY RESIDENT to prove residency, the LEGAL RESIDENT must produce TWO MDE approved forms of residency documentation (listed below) matching the address stated on the affidavit. LEGAL RESIDENT must produce PHOTO ID for Notary.

The parent/legal guardian of the student(s) must present a PHOTO ID matching the parent name on the student(s) birth certificate. Any custody documentation must be executed by a court of law.

After the Affidavit is notarized, the parent/guardian and the Legal Resident should present the two approved forms of residency documentation, IN THE NAME OF THE LEGAL RESIDENT AND MATCHING THE ADDRESS LISTED ON THE AFFIDAVIT, to the Central Office.

Two of the below listed documents are required to establish residency:

A) FILED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FORMS;

B) MORTGAGE STATEMENT; PROPERTY DEED; (NO PROPERTY TAX DOCUMENTS) C) APARTMENT OR HOME LEASE;

D) UTILITY BILLS; NO CUTOFF OR DISCONNECT NOTICES WILL BE ACCEPTED AS PER MDE MANDATES;

(NO CELL PHONE BILLS; NO CAR/HOME INSURANCE STATEMENTS; NO HUNTING LICENSES; BILL MUST BE CURRENT, WITHIN 30 DAYS OF REGISTRATION)

E) DRIVERS LICENSE OR MISSISSIPPI STATE IDENTIFICATION CARD; (MUST SHOW CURRENT ADDRESS) F) AUTOMOBILE REGISTRATION; MUST BE CURRENT YEAR’S REGISTRATION, NOT EXPIRED)

PLEASE NOTE: NOTARY SERVICES WILL NOT BE PROVIDED BY JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. PLEASE HAVE PAPERWORK NOTARIZED PRIOR TO SUBMITTING RESIDENCY DOCUMENTATION TO THE CENTRAL OFFICE

All Affidavits of Residency will be processed, by appointment, at the Central Office.

Please call (228) 826-1757 and ask for Shelly Barnett (Ext 318) to schedule an appointment.

Procedures:

1. Please have attached form signed and notarized 2. Call Central Office to schedule an appointment

3. When completing the process at Central Office, PARENT/GUARDIAN MUST PRESENT:

(a) photo ID that matches a parent name on the student(s) birth certificate (or custody papers)

(b) 2 forms of residency documentation (MATCHING THE ADDRESS ON THE NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT) obtained from the LEGAL RESIDENT

(c) completed, notarized affidavit

Descriptor Term: JBC STUDENT ADMISSIONS ISSUE DATE: 8-6-07 REVISED: 4-22-13 REVISED: 4-13-15

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Residency may be verified by the School Resource Office and/or by School Administrator between the hours of 3:00pm and 9:00 pm.

Affidavit of Residency

Student(s) Name:__________________________________________________________________

School(s) Name: __________________________________________________________

Parent’s/Guardian’s Name (Please Print):_______________________________________________

Section 37-25-29 of the Mississippi Code of 1972-Mississippi State Board of Education Policy and District Policy JBC Admissions Policy require students to live with a parent or legal guardian in the Jackson County School district.

Parent/Legal Guardian swears that:

 I am actually residing on a full-time basis at the address listed below which is situated within the boundaries of the Jackson County School District.

 I am the parent/guardian listed above, and the student is residing with me on a full-time basis at the address listed below.

 I have been advised of the residency requirements of the state law, Mississippi State Board of Education Policy, and the School District policy. I understand that if the student is not actually residing with me at the address given above, the student will be immediately withdrawn from school in the Jackson County District and I will not be allowed to establish residency through an Affidavit for any other registration(s) in the Jackson County School District.

________________________________ __________________________________________

Signature of Parent/Guardian Identification Presented

Jackson County Resident (LEGAL RESIDENT) Name: ___________________________________

Jackson County Resident Address: (No P.O. Boxes)

___________________________________

____________________________________

Legal resident understands that if it becomes apparent that parent/guardian and their student(s) are not residing with Legal Resident at the address listed above, Legal Guardian will not be allowed to establish residency for any other individual in the Jackson County School District.

_______________________________________ __________________________________________

Signature of Jackson County Resident Identification Presented (LEGAL RESIDENT who is providing residency paperwork)

I verify that the persons listed above presented the identification listed above and personally appeared before me, the undersigned, on this the ____________________day of ______________________, 20____, within my jurisdiction.

____________________________________

(Notary Public)

Please make sure seal is legible. Thank you.