Verification of Residency
- District Policies
Verification of Residency
OSSD BOT Policy JBC - School Admission is based on the SBE Policy 68.1 Residency Verification. According to this policy, the definition of residence for school attendance purposes is: The student physically resides full-time, weekdays/nights and weekends, at a place of abode located within the limits of the school district. Any new student enrolling or entering OSSD or any continuing student whose residence has changed within the school year is required to verify through written documentation his/her residence immediately.
Students Living With Parents/Guardians
Parents/Guardians are required to provide TWO proofs of residency to enroll their student into OSSD. A list of acceptable documents can be found on the enrollment page of the district website.
Additionally, the parent/guardian must provide custody paperwork in the form of a divorce decree, guardianship document, and/or other legal documents establishing custody for student enrollment if such paperwork exists.
Student's Family Residing with a Third Party
If the student’s family is residing in the home or apartment of another individual, the following is necessary for enrollment:
- Complete your students registration.
- Contact your students' school to complete the Affidavit of Residency process.
NOTE: Two Proofs of Residency are required from the third party the student resides with.
NOTE: An Affidavit of Residency for a student will remain in effect for thirty (30) days. Use of an Affidavit of Residency may not be allowed for more than one time during the academic school year or more than once in the student’s tenure in OSSD. If any irregularity regarding the validity is discovered, the parent/guardian will not be allowed to utilize an Affidavit of Residency and the OSSD resident establishing residency for the parent/guardian will not be allowed to provide residency for any other parent/guardian through an Affidavit.
OSSD intends to enroll only those children who are qualified to be enrolled in the school district and to either deny enrollment or dismiss those students who have not qualified for failure to meet the conditions set out in the policy. In the event that good-faith questions are raised about any student's eligibility to attend OSSD, the principal or her designee shall attempt to establish the student's residency and shall request additional documentation as may be required to satisfy the questions raised. If the verification of residency, as set forth in the policy, is not established, a notice of noncompliance will be sent to the home of the student giving notice that the student will be dismissed from school after ten (10) days if proper verification of residency is not completed. Students who change residences within the district during the school year will need to attend the school for which their residence is zoned.
Any residency may be verified by the OSSD Police Department and/or school administration between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Out-of-District Students
OSSD BOT Policy JBC - School Admission pertaining to out-of-district students is as follows:
- Children of instructional employees who live out of the district are accepted as long as the employee receives a legal release from the school district in which they reside.
- No other student who lives out of district will be allowed to attend any OSSD schools. Students who move out of OSSD are no longer eligible to attend OSSD.
Any student found to be in violation of this policy will be removed from school immediately and will not receive school credit where in violation.
Non-Resident Students
OSSD BOT Policy JBCB - Non-Resident Students. OSSD will enroll non-resident students for Advanced Placement Capstone (Capstone) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs only to the extent that such admission does not adversely affect the education of resident students.
Non-resident students living with resident adults other than parents or legal guardians will be required to meet residency requirements as outlined in OSSD BOT Policy JBC - School Admission.
A non-resident AP Capstone or IB student will have a release from the Board of Trustees of the district of residence prior to applying for admission to the OSSD as a nonresident student. The application for admission of a nonresident student must be approved by the OSSD BOT prior to formal admission to a school in OSSD. However, in emergency situations, a nonresident student may be granted temporary admission by the Superintendent or designee subject to final approval by the BOT.
Tuition Enrollment Program (TEP)
The OSSD BOT has determined to admit to its high school on a tuition basis a defined number of qualified nonresident students interested in pursuing a rigorous course of study prerequisite to admission to the OSSD International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) or the Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Program. OSSD has established the following eligibility requirements or criteria in determining whether to admit a non-resident TEP student to be eligible to apply in a student’s freshman year (or sophomore year if openings are available) for admission to the OSSD's IB or AP Capstone programs. Please see OSSD BOT Policy JBCB - Non-Resident Students. Click here for the Tuition Enrollment Application.
Homeschooling & Transfer Student Testing
OSSD BOT Policy JBAB - Home Schooling/Transfer Student Testing pertaining to admission of students from any public, private, or homeschool within or outside the boundaries of the State of Mississippi to a public school within the state, may be required to take a test to determine the grade and class to which the pupil shall be assigned at the time of pupil transfer. The parent will be given advance notice for testing, and the counselor at the school will administer and score the test. The student will be assigned to a specific grade and class for which the test shows he/she is best suited only after the test has been given and scored. Pending the administration of the test, the principal may temporarily assign the student to a grade and class comparable to that in which the student would have been had the student continued in the school from which the transfer was being made.
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