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Schools address residency requirements By J. FRANK
LYNCH
Fayette County schools have no plans to take legal action against parents of children who allegedly are enrolled in the school district illegally, as Henry County has done recently, but the issue does bring up the need to remind parents that proof of residency is a strict requirement. Melinda Berry-Dreisbach, public information officer with Fayette schools, said that many new students be enrolled this spring and early summer, particularly in the elementary grades. In order to expedite the registration process, the school system requires that parents bring two examples of proof of residency at the time of enrollment, and one of them must be in the form of either a proper deed or a signed lease agreement. "A warranty deed is preferred since it contains only the physical description of the property," said Berry-Dreisbach. "No financial information is recorded or copied for registration." In addition, a current electric or gas bill with the name of the person enrolling the student and the address of service must be presented. The bills can't be more than two months old. If current bills aren't available, copies of previous billing statements can be obtained by contacting the utility companies. "Many people today are paying their bills online so they don't receive a printed statement," acknowledged Beverly Pittman of Fayette's pupil services department. "We have a great working relationship with the power companies. All parents have to do is contact one of the companies and they will know exactly what we are looking for." Residents who are moving into the county but will not be able to close on their home until after the school year begins can obtain temporary residency status for one semester as long as there is a firm closing date in place. The Board of Education does not issue temporary residency status for people who have a buy/sell contingency on a property, Berry-Dreisbach said. When a temporary residency is approved, parents must pay tuition for their students until their home closes. And in a situation where a family is living with someone else who is a resident of the county, an affidavit of residency is required. An affidavit can be obtained through the school district offices from 8-11 a.m.or 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, parents are asked to notify the school system immediately when there is a change of address, even if the change is within the county, Berry-Dreisbach said. For more information on proof of residency, contact Pittman at the LaFayette Educational Center, 770-460-3990, ext. 122.
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