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Schools to tighten up residency rules
(by Sue Hoffman - July 29, 2009)
Schools to tighten up residency rules
By SUE HOFFMAN
Residency rules for the Solon School District will become tighter, according to a policy revision being considered by the school board.
Two changes are pending, School Superintendent Joseph V. Regano told the school board. The changes involve parents whose houses are under construction and residents who are applying for custody of children.
The board's policy 5111 on eligibility of resident and nonresident students has allowed parents whose houses are under construction to send their children to school tuition-free, if they move in within 90 calendar days of the first day of school attendance. The revised policy does not allow children to attend school while their house is under construction.
"We have had problem upon problem of getting tuition paid after that period of time," Mr. Regano said. "So we think, with the community just about being built out, now's a good time to change it and say you need to be a resident within the community," he said.
"Prior to this -- 15, 20 years ago -- there were so many people that were in the process of moving into the community that it made sense. Now it's causing more of an issue," Mr. Regano said.
Debbie Wendl, director of internal services, said the district sends an attendance officer to see that the family complies. If the family is not in the house in 90 days, they have to pay tuition, and the children have to leave school at the end of the semester. "We don't really accept tuition students," she said.
The revised policy continues to allow parents who have purchased an existing home and will be closing on the sale within 90 calendar days of the first day of school attendance to send their children tuition-free, she said.
Mr. Regano said, in Ohio, it's optional whether a school district accepts an application for custody to allow a student to enroll. According to its policy, the district has enrolled students on this basis.
"We think there are so many of these now," he said, and it can take so long for approval of the applications. Some applications are delayed for a year or two, he said.
The revision would change the policy to require that custody has been approved. "We think it's better that students in the district have custodians who are residents," Mr. Regano said.
"Those two changes will help us manage the ins and outs of students within the district," he said.
The school board will vote on the revised policy at its next meeting, Aug. 17.
School board member Julie Glavin said there are many exceptions to residency rules, and residency is a complicated issue. "We are diligently making sure students are residents of the district," she said.
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