As Coweta County students return to school on this week to begin a new semester, Coweta County schools are helping parents sign residency affidavits and deliver residency documents by January 19.

The Coweta County Board of Education office at 237 Jackson Street in Newnan will remain open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights, beginning January 4, to help parents with the affidavits and documentation.

The Central Educational Center at 160 Martin Luther King Drive in Newnan will also be open Mondays through Thursdays until 8 p.m. each night through January 19.

Both offices will be able to accept residency documentation and will be able to witness parent signatures and notarize affidavits affirming residency for all Coweta County schools during these hours.

All Coweta Schools are able to accept residency documents and notarize affidavits during regular business hours each week day until 4 p.m.

Newnan High School will be open to notarize and accept affidavits and residency documents until 8 p.m. January 8, January 9 and January 11.

Northgate High School will be open to notarize and accept affidavits residency documents until 7 p.m. January 8, January 9, January 16, and January 18.

East Coweta High School has not established evening hours for affidavits at this time. Parents may wish to contact their child’s elementary or middle school to check for evening hours through January 19.

The residency documentation is being required because the Coweta County School System has entered into a mutual Consent Decree that will provide an opportunity to resolve the 1973 Court Order which governs the system’s desegregation attempts. The Consent Decree was issued in United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, on November 9, and followed more than a year of discussions and negotiations with representatives of the United States Justice Department, Civil Rights Division.

By January 19, 2007, all parents, legal guardians, or other lawful custodians of students attending the Coweta County School System must sign under oath and deliver for each attending student the following:

•A signed and notarized Affidavit of Residence provided for each child attending school. The affidavits are available at the school or in a printable version on the Coweta County School System website at www.cowetaschools.org. Each affidavit must be signed in the presence of a Notary Public. Parents must also initial that they have read the disclaimer at the bottom of the affidavit. All schools have several Notaries Public on site to witness the signature and seal the document.

Two items from the following list for address verification:

• Current property tax records which indicate the location of the residence.

• Mortgage documents or a security deed which indicates the location of the residence.

• An apartment or home lease or rent receipt indicating the current address.

• A current electric bill or application for electricity showing the current address.

• Voter precinct identification card or other voter documentation indicating the current address.

Schools can assist parents with copies of the two pieces of documentation. Affadavits must be signed in the presence of a notary for each child, however.

Some parents, legal guardians or other lawful custodians who do not reside in their home due to unavoidable or emergency situations have already completed an Affadavit of Residence and provided the school district with two items for address verification at our Jackson Street Central Office. No other documentation is needed at this time from these persons

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