A GUIDE TO
understanding
THE NEW RULES
FOR SCHOOL
REGISTRATION
To enroll in school:
You (the parent, guardian, or caregiver)
have to show that the youth is living with
you and that you have total and permanent
custody and control. To do this, you can
show the school district:
• proof of custody or guardianship
OR
• an affidavit (written statement signed
under oath) saying that you have “total
and permanent custody and control” over
the child
OR
• other proof such as documentation that
the child has been placed with a sponsor
by a federal agency.
Enrollment requirements:
NYS Education Department
Office of Student Support Services
(518) 486-6090
Enrollment of immigrant children
and youth:
NYS Education Department
Office of Bilingual Education &
World Languages
(718) 722-2445
Enrollment of children and youth
in temporary housing:
NYS Technical and Education Assistance
Center for Homeless Students
(NYS-TEACHS)
(800) 388-2014
NYS Education Department
State Coordinator for Homeless Education
(518) 473-0295
This pamphlet is a summary of the applicable regulatory
provisions and is intended for informational purposes only.
For further information on the applicable regulatory
requirements, please consult an attorney or see 8 NYCRR
section 100.2(x) and 100.2(y), as amended effective
July 1, 2015,
August 2015
WHAT IF…
the youth is not living with a parent?
the parents are separated or divorced?
For more information:
➡
There are different requirements for youth
in temporary housing (this may include,
for example, youth who have run away or
been kicked out of their homes).
For more information about temporary
housing and enrollment, call NYS-TEACHS
at 800-388-2014.
Did you know:
• Your child must be enrolled within one day
of your request.
• Children and youth can get a free public
education, even if they are undocumented
or are not citizens.
• Schools cannot ask you for your social securi-
ty card or social security number at
the time of or as a condition of enrollment.
• Schools cannot ask about immigration status
at the time of or as a condition of enrollment
(but after enrollment they may ask about
which country your child was born in).
• There are many different ways to show
residency. Schools must give you choices and
cannot only ask for a lease or a deed.
• Your child can be enrolled in school even if
you don’t have his or her birth certificate.
• Youth may enroll in school under certain
circumstances even if they are not living
with their parents.
Ways you can show residency:
• Lease or deed
• Affidavit (a written statement signed under
oath) from the person you pay rent to,
saying you live there
•
A letter from the person you pay rent to
saying you live there
•
A letter from another person saying you
live at your address
•
Other documentation, such as:
Pay stub showing your address
Income tax form that shows your ad-
dress
Utility bill or other bill in your name
Membership documents based on
residency, such as a local library card
Voter registration card
Driver’s license, or permit, or
non-driver ID
State or other government issued ID
Documents from government agencies
such as a social service agency or the
federal Office of Refugee Resettlement
Custody or guardianship papers
If the school district decides your child can’t
go to school in the district because he or she
is not a resident, the district must give you a
letter within two business days explaining
its decision and how to appeal the decision.
Ways to show a child’s age:
• Certified Birth Certificate (from any
country)
•
Baptismal record (from any country)
• A Passport (from any country)
If you don’t have a Birth Certificate,
baptismal record, or passport, you can use
other documents if you’ve had them for at
least two years, such as:
•
Driver’s license
• State or governmental ID
• School photo ID with date of birth
• Consulate ID card
• Hospital or health records
• Military dependent ID card
• Other documents from federal/state/local
agencies (examples: Department of Social
Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement)
•
Court orders
• Native American tribal document
• Records from international aid agencies or
voluntary agencies
Do you know how to show
that you live in the district
where you are enrolling your
children?
Do you know how to prove
your children’s ages?
➡
To enroll in school, you
have to show:
• that you live and intend to remain in the school
district. This is called showing you are a
“resident.”
AND
• your child’s age.
➡
Children and youth in temporary housing
can enroll in school without the documents
normally needed to enroll. Children and youth
are temporarily housed or homeless if they lack
a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence which includes, for example:
– living in a shelter or,
– sharing the home of a relative or a friend
because they lost their home or were evicted.