The Board of Trustees desires to admit all students who reside within district boundaries or who fulfill the district residency requirements through other means as allowed by law. The Superintendent or designee shall develop procedures to facilitate the receipt and verification of students' proof of residency.
(cf. 5116 - School Attendance Boundaries)
The Superintendent or designee shall annually notify parents/guardians of all existing attendance options available in the district, including, but not limited to, all options for meeting residency requirements for school attendance. (Education Code 48980)
(cf. 5116.1 - Intradistrict Open Enrollment)
(cf. 5117 - Interdistrict Attendance)
(cf. 5145.6 - Parental Notifications)
The Superintendent or designee shall require parents/guardians to provide documentation of the student's residency upon admission to a District school. A copy of the document or written statement offered as verification of residency shall be maintained in the student's mandatory permanent record. (5 CCR 432)
(cf. 5111 - Admission)
(cf. 5125 - Student Records)
When establishing a student's residency for enrollment purposes, the Superintendent or designee shall not inquire into a student's citizenship or immigration status or their family members.
A student's enrollment may be denied when the submitted documentation is insufficient to establish district residency. In any such case, the Superintendent or designee shall notify the parent/guardian in writing, including specific reasons for the denial.
Investigation of Residency
When the Superintendent or designee reasonably believes that a student's parent/guardian has provided false or unreliable evidence of residency, he/she may make reasonable efforts to determine that the student meets district residency requirements. An investigation may be initiated when the Superintendent or designee is able to identify specific, articulable facts supporting the belief that the parent/guardian has provided false or unreliable evidence of residency. (Education Code 48204.1, 48204.2)
The Superintendent or designee may assign a trained District employee to conduct the investigation. The investigation may include the examination of records, including public records, and/or interviews of persons who may have knowledge of the student's residency.
If necessary, the Superintendent or designee may employ the services of a private investigator to conduct the investigation. Before hiring a private investigator, the Superintendent or designee shall make other reasonable efforts to determine whether the student resides in the District. (Education Code 48204.2)
The investigation shall not include the surreptitious collection of photographic or videographic images of persons or places subject to the investigation. However, the use of technology is not prohibited if done in open and public view. (Education Code 48204.2)
Any employee or contractor engaged in the investigation shall truthfully identify himself/herself as an investigator to individuals contacted or interviewed during the course of the investigation. (Education Code 48204.2)
Appeal of Enrollment Denial
If the Superintendent or designee, upon investigation, determines that a student does not meet District residency requirements and denies the student's enrollment in the District, he/she shall provide the student's parent/guardian an opportunity to appeal that determination. (Education Code 48204.2)
The Superintendent or designee shall send the student's parent/guardian written notice specifying the basis for the District's determination. This notice shall also inform the parent/guardian that he/she may, within 10 school days, appeal the decision and provide new evidence of residency.
The burden shall be on the parent/guardian to show why the District's determination to deny enrollment should be overruled. (Education Code 48204.2)
A student who is currently enrolled in the District shall be allowed to remain in attendance at his/her school pending the results of the appeal. A student who is not currently enrolled in the District shall not be permitted to attend any district school unless his/her appeal is successful.
In an appeal to the Superintendent of a determination that District residency requirements were not met, the Superintendent shall review any evidence provided by the parent/guardian or obtained during the district's investigation and shall make a decision within 10 school days of receipt of the parent/guardian's request for the appeal. The Superintendent's decision shall be final.
Enrollment Not Requiring District Residency
When approved by the Board and the appropriate agency, the District may enroll students from other countries who are in the United States on an F-1 visa or are participating in an international exchange program under the sponsorship of a government-approved agency.
(cf. 5111.2 - Nonresident Foreign Students)
(cf. 6145.6 - International Exchange)
District residency is not required for enrollment in a regional occupational center or program if there are openings in the program or class. (Education Code 52317)
(cf. 6178.2 - Regional Occupational Center/Program)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
220 Prohibition of discrimination
234.7 Student protections relating to immigration and citizenship status
35160.5 Intradistrict open enrollment
35351 Assignment of students to particular schools
46600-46611 Interdistrict attendance permits
48050-48054 Nonresidents
48200-48208 Compulsory education law, especially:
48204 Residency requirements
48204.1-48204.2 Evidence of residency
48300-48316 Student attendance alternatives, school district of choice program
48350-48361 Open Enrollment Act transfers
48645.5 Former juvenile court school students, enrollment
48852.7 Education of homeless students; immediate enrollment
48853.5 Education of foster youth; immediate enrollment
48980 Notifications at beginning of term
52317 Regional occupational program, admission of persons including nonresidents
FAMILY CODE
6550-6552 Caregivers
GOVERNMENT CODE
6205-6210 Confidentiality of residence for victims of domestic violence
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
432 Retention of student records
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
11431-11435 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
COURT DECISIONS
Katz v. Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 47
Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Legal Guidance on Providing All Children Equal Access to Education, Regardless of Immigration Status, February 2017
Legal Guidance Regarding International Student Exchange Placement Organizations, April 2014
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS JOINT PUBLICATIONS
Fact Sheet: Information on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in School
Dear Colleague Letter: School Enrollment Procedures, May 8, 2014
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov
California Secretary of State, Safe at Home Program: http://www.sos.ca.gov/safeathome
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights: http://www2.ed.gov/ocr
U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.justice.gov
Policy CARLSBAD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: July 19, 2017 Carlsbad, California
revised: June 6, 2018