Release Date: 7/21/2008

Contact: Office of Pupil Personnel Services, 410-887-0404 Kara Calder, 410-887-5908

All incoming BCPS 6th, 9th graders must now verify residency before school year begins

New procedure designed to help schools maintain up-to-date residency records

What: The parents or guardians of all Baltimore County Public Schools students entering the 6th or 9th grades this summer must verify their residency before their students may be enrolled for the 2008-09 school year. To verify residency, a parent or guardian should visit the child's school and provide proper documentation , including:

Photo identification

Lease or deed

Three pieces of mail sent to the home address within the last 60 days.

All documents should reflect the same residency. The BCPS Web site, www.bcps.org/schools/moving_tips.html, contains a list of documents needed for registration.

Parents have until Thursday, August 7, to verify their residency and avoid having their child withdrawn from school.

Who: The new residency verification requirement only applies to all incoming students entering the 6th or 9th grades. The procedure does not apply to verification of shared domicile, homeless, or non-resident students, whose applications are processed annually.

Additional requirements may be part of the registration process.

For more information about who must verify residency, parents or guardians may call their local schools or visit the BCPS Web site (www.bcps.org/system/policies_rules) to view policy and rule 5150.

When: All BCPS schools are open during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, throughout the summer. Parents or guardians should contact their local schools to schedule appointments. If students need English language support, parents or guardians must contact the Office of World Languages and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Programs.

Background:

As a new part of the enrollment process this year, all children entering grades 6 or 9 - regardless of where they attended school last school year - must verify their residency. The new requirement was added to the BCPS enrollment process this year to help schools maintain up-to-date residency records on all incoming students and to ensure that students receive the proper school placement.

Parents of rising 6th or 9th graders received letters last spring informing them of the new requirement.

Families experiencing homelessness can request assistance with the school registration process by contacting either the last school attended or the nearest school. The schools can provide the name and telephone number of a school pupil personnel worker or a school-based homeless liaison. For more information, families can call 410-887-0404.

Parents or guardians of children who speak a language other than English should make an appointment for English language support screening before registering for school in Baltimore County. For more information, families can call 410-887-6752 or visit www.bcps.org/offices/world_languages/.

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