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RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE:
The
Cobb County School District (District) serves the students who are eligible
to attend the District’s schools.
In
O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1, Georgia law requires any person, whether or not a
parent or legal guardian, who has, “control or charge of any child between
their sixth and sixteenth birthdays,” to enroll and send the child to a
public school, private school, or home study program.
RULE:
I. ADMISSIONS:
Schools shall use the District-approved “Student Registration Form” (Form
JF-5) when
registering students new to the school or for the subsequent school year.
Form JF-7
(Student Enrollment Checklist) provides a summary of documentation a
student will need
to be officially and finally enrolled in the District. More detailed
explanation of enrollment
requirements and procedures follows.
A. ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY:
The District shall admit into its schools students who reside with an
adult, whether
parent, guardian, or person having control or charge of a student within
the District (See
Section C below) and who meet all other qualifications of this Rule.
These eligible
students may include:
1. Department of Human Resources:
Any minor who is in the physical or legal custody of the
Department of Human
Resources (DHR) or Department of Justice or any of their divisions
and is physically
present within the geographical boundaries of the District. When a
student is being
placed by DHR into a new home or facility that would require a
change in school or
school system, the District shall consult with the student’s
custodian to ascertain
whether the student should be maintained in the school of origin or
assigned to the
appropriate school in the District in accordance with the
McKinney-Vento Act.
Children awaiting foster care placement qualify as homeless under
the McKinney-
Vento Act.
2. Any minor who would qualify as a student for the District and resides
in a state-
licensed orphanage or institution for abandoned or neglected
children.
3. Any minor attending a state-licensed drug or alcohol rehabilitation
facility which is
located within the geographical boundaries of the District.
4. Department of Juvenile Justice:
Any minor housed pursuant to court order in a foster care
home which is located
within the District. If placed by the Department of Juvenile
Justice, the student shall
be enrolled in his/her home school, as opposed to an alternative
educational setting,
unless the Case Management Consultation Team concludes that the best
placement
for the child would be the alternative
setting. Any placement made pursuant to an
individualized education program team shall take precedence.
5. Homeless Students:
Any minor who is a homeless individual. Refer to the
Administrative
Rule JFABD
(Admissions/Withdrawals: Homeless Children and Youth).
6. Any minor whose parent or court-appointed guardian is an employee,
other than
temporary or substitute employees, of the District (see
Rule JCAC
[Admissions/Withdrawals: Children of Employees]).
7. Emancipated Minors:
Any minor under the age
of eighteen who resides in the District and who is no longer
under the control or authority of his/her parents/guardians by
operation of law
(validly married or as otherwise prescribed by law) or as granted by
a juvenile court
judge.
8. Other students determined to be eligible for enrollment by the
Policy, Planning
and Student Support Division and the
Area Assistant Superintendent.
B. ENTRANCE AGE:
1. All Georgia resident students shall have attained the age of five (5)
on or before
September 1 in order to be eligible for admission into the
kindergarten program
(See Section C below).
2. All Georgia resident students shall have attained the age of six (6)
on or before
September 1 in order to be eligible for admission into the first
year program (See
Section C below).
3. Students who were legal residents of one or more other states for a
period of two
years immediately prior to moving to Georgia, were legally enrolled
in a public
kindergarten or first grade, are otherwise qualified and will attain
the age of five for
kindergarten or six for first grade by December 31. (Form
JF-1)
4. Students who have been enrolled in and successfully completed first
grade at a
public school or an accredited private school will be eligible for
enrollment in second
grade.
5. If a student enrolls in school for twenty (20) school days or more
prior to their
sixth birthday, he/she shall become subject to the provisions of the
compulsory
school attendance law and
Rule JE (Student Conduct: Attendance) and cannot be
withdrawn except as provided in Section II, Withdrawals, below.
6. All youth who have not attained the age of 20 by September l are
eligible for
enrollment in appropriate education programs, unless they have
received a high
school diploma or the equivalent.
7. Students who have not dropped out of school for one semester or more
and who
have not attained the age of 21 by September 1 are eligible for
enrollment,
provided they have not received a high school diploma or the
equivalent.
8. All youth who are classified as special education students
are eligible for enrollment
in appropriate education programs from age three (3) through age 21
unless they
have received a high school or special education diploma or the
equivalent,
provided they were enrolled during the preceding school year and had
an approved
Individualized Education Program (IEP) which indicated that a
successive year of
enrollment was needed.
9. Guidelines for students enrolling from Home Study programs are
contained in the
Administrative
Rule IHBG (Home Study Programs).
C. ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES:
All students enrolling for the first time in Cobb County School District
shall receive full
status as students when the following requirements are fulfilled:
1. HEALTH CERTIFICATIONS (See Administrative
Rule JLC):
a. Georgia Department of Human Resources Form 3231 "Certificate of
Immunization" is on file.
b. Georgia Department of Human Resources Form 3300 "Certificate of
Ear, Eye and
Dental Examinations" for kindergarten and first year students,
students new to
Georgia schools, and students coming from private schools is on
file.
c. Questions concerning religious waivers for immunizations and
screenings for
dental, hearing and vision should be referred to the Policy,
Planning, and Student
Support Division. Religious waivers (Form
JLC-4) are to be completed at the local
school and placed in the student’s permanent record.
2. PROOF OF BIRTH DATE:
Unless exempted by law or State Board of Education rules,
before admitting any
individual to a state-funded Georgia school or program, the
Principal or designee shall
require evidence of the individual’s date of birth. Evidence shall
be accepted in the
order set forth below:
a. Kindergarten, first year, and students new to Georgia must
present proof of birth
date prior to entry into the District. This shall also apply to
students transferring
into the District during the year. Once a student has been
enrolled in any publicly-
funded
Georgia school, provided
one of the following evidences of date of birth has
been provided and recorded in the Georgia Testing Identifier
application, further
proof of age is unnecessary.
b. Acceptable Evidence:
The school will accept evidence in the order set forth
below that shows the
student’s date of birth:
(1) A certified copy of a birth certificate, a certified
hospital issued birth record or
birth certificate;
(2) A military ID;
(3) A valid driver’s license;
(4) A passport;
(5) An adoption record;
(6) A religious record signed by an authorized religious
official;
(7) An official school transcript; or
(8) If none of these items can be produced, an affidavit of age
sworn to by the
parent, guardian or other person accompanied by a
certificate of age signed by
a licensed practicing physician, which certificate states
that the physician has
examined the child and believes that the age as stated in
the affidavit is
substantially correct.
c. Record Retention:
Upon presentation of one of the above evidences, a copy
of the document shall be
placed in the student’s record and the original returned to the
parent/guardian/person having control or charge of a student.
3. PROOF OF RESIDENCY:
In order for a student to be admitted in the District, the person
enrolling the student
shall provide proof of residency within the District.
a. Proof of residency shall be provided to the Principal or designee
when the student
seeks initial enrollment in the District.
b. In order to verify residency within the District, two or more of
the following items
shall be presented to the Principal or designee:
(1) Home ownership title consisting of either a warranty deed,
quit-claim deed, or
security deed in the name of the parent/guardian for the
location of the legal
residence;
(2) Lease or rental agreement consisting of written evidence
that a current valid
agreement exists. Also to be included with this agreement
shall be the name,
address, and/or telephone number of the lessor;
(3) Current utility (gas, telephone, power, water, and sewer)
monthly statement
which evidences the location of the legal residence;
(4) Current Georgia driver's license or Georgia identification
card which evidences
the location of the legal residence;
(5) Current bank, credit union, or other financial institution
documentation
(loan documents, credit card statement, monthly activity
statement) which
evidences the location of the legal residence;
(6) Mail delivered by the United States Postal Service other
than general mail
addressed to occupant or resident;
(7) Employer documentation (application for employment, health
insurance,
previously issued W-2 or Form 1099) which evidences the
location of the legal
residence;
(8) For the current year, a Cobb County property tax statement
with evidence
thereupon of payment and which shows the name and address;
(9) Voter registration documentation from Cobb County;
(10) A current motor vehicle registration (tag receipt);
(11) Any other document(s) that will provide evidence of an
intent to remain
at the location of legal residence within the geographic
boundaries of the
District.
c. In the event none of the above documentation exists or the
documentation
submitted is insufficient to verify a legal residence within the
District, the Principal
or designee shall require the parent/guardian claiming residency
to complete a
statement of legal residence (Form
JF-2) which includes an affidavit of
parent/guardian. This Principal or designee may also require the
certification of
the residence owner. The statement should be notarized and
signed by the
parent/guardian and owner/lessor.
d. At the discretion of the Principal or designee, if evidence of a
parent/guardian's
residence within the District is still insufficient, the
Principal or designee shall
submit a referral to the school social worker. The School Social
Work Department
will take whatever legal steps are necessary to verify the
parent or guardian's
residence within the District. Such steps may include, but are
not limited to,
investigation by the school social worker, completion of the
certification of
residence by owner/lessor (Form
JF-2), and report of status of the investigation to
the referring school for proper action.
e. Any student whose parent/guardian is not residing within the
District at the time
the student applies for admission shall nonetheless be
considered a resident for
purposes of admission if:
(1) He/she provides to the Principal or designee documents
evidencing that
he/she shall be a resident of the District within sixty
(60) calendar days from
the date the student applied for admission (Form
JF-3).
(2) Any student enrolled in a high school pursuant to Item a.
above shall not
receive performance eligibility until the high school
Principal or designee is
provided proof (See Item b. above) that the student is
living within the
geographic boundaries of the District.
f. LOSS/CHANGE OF RESIDENCY:
(1) The parent/guardian shall notify the school immediately if
any change in
residence occurs.
(2) Students who cease to be a resident of the District or move
to another school
attendance zone within the District may be eligible to
submit an application for
transfer to remain with their home school for a limited
time. Refer to
Administrative Rule
JFABC (Admissions/Withdrawals: Transfer Students).
4. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
a. No student shall be denied enrollment in the District for failing
to provide his/her
Social Security number or for declining to apply for a Social
Security number.
Providing a Social Security number is voluntary.
b. The parent/guardian will provide an official copy of the
student’s Social Security
number. A parent/guardian who objects to the incorporation of
the Social
Security number into the school records of a child may waive the
requirement by
signing a notarized statement objecting to the requirement (Form
JF-4). This
statement shall be retained in the student's permanent folder.
Additionally:
(1) The communication of this information will be in a language
appropriate for
the parent, guardian, student or person enrolling the
student.
(2) The school shall:
(a) If needed, provide forms for making application for a
Social Security
number or for waiving the request; and
(b) Ensure that student Social Security numbers are treated
in the same
confidential manner as all other records and in
accordance with the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
which includes
withholding student Social Security numbers from the
U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services.
(c) Assign a temporary identification number to a student
who is applying for
a Social Security number, or a permanent student
identification number if
a Social Security number will not be provided.
5. TRANSFER RECORDS:
Students enrolling from other school systems shall be admitted upon
presentation of
a withdrawal form from the previous school and/or verification of
academic status
and eligibility for enrollment. They shall receive full status as
students when:
a. A valid transcript of work completed is received directly from
the previous school
attended. A
Form JF-8 (Authorization to Release Records) is to be completed at
the time of enrollment.
b. Tests deemed necessary by school officials for proper grade
placement have been
completed.
c. Clearance of the records of the previous school is completed.
6. DISCIPLINE RECORDS/STATUS:
a. Any student desiring to enter the District must be eligible to
enter the school
system which he last attended.
Form JF-9 (Disclosures Required for Conditional
Admission) shall be completed at the time of enrollment.
b. The District may request the discipline record of any student
entering the District.
c. Any student who is enrolling in the District for the first time
in grades seven or
higher must provide a certified copy of his/her scholastic and
discipline record
from the school previously attended. In lieu of providing a
certified copy of a
discipline record and transcript, the student may be admitted on
a conditional
basis by submitting a properly executed release authorizing the
District to obtain
such information from the school previously attended.
d. Students who have been suspended from another school system or
private school
in this state may be eligible for acceptance into the District
only after their
records have been cleared with the proper school authorities.
7. DATA ENTRY:
Student entry information must be entered directly into the computer
no later than
the day after a student enrolls in a Cobb County school.
8. CUSTODIAL DOCUMENTS:
The District may request proof of custody in situations
involving multiple adults
claiming control of the same student.
9. CASE MANAGEMENT CONSULTAION:
a. A Case Management Consultation (CMC) is a consultation by
a school social worker
or case manager in which a process is used to discover whether
any transition
problems exist and whether any services are necessary for a
child placed by the
Department of Human Resources (DHR) or Department of Juvenile
Justice (DJJ).
b. The CMC process will be utilized each time a DHR or DJJ-placed
child
enrolls in a new school.
10. End-of-Year Enrollment:
Students may enroll at any time during the school year except the
last five days of
school. Students who seek to enroll during the last five days of
school may be
asked to schedule a later appointment to enroll for the following
school year.
D. PERSON OTHER THAN A PARENT/GUARDIAN ENROLLING A STUDENT:
This person must be an adult of at least 18 years of age or an
emancipated minor at
least 16 years of age residing within the boundaries of the Cobb County
School District.
The enrolling person must stand in loco parentis (i.e., to assume
the duties and
responsibilities of a parent such as providing food, shelter, clothing
or medical care).
1. The student must live with the enrolling person full-time for
one of the following
reasons:
a. The death, serious illness, or incarceration of the
parent/guardian;
b. The abandonment by a parent/guardian of the complete control of
the student as
evidenced by the failure to provide substantial financial
support and parental
guidance;
c. Abuse or neglect by the parent/guardian;
d. The physical or mental condition of the parent/guardian is such
that he/she cannot
provide adequate care and supervision of the student;
e. The loss of inhabitability of the student’s home as the result of
a natural disaster;
f. The parent/guardian is unable to provide care and supervision of
the student
because he/she is serving in the military;
g. The student is living in a foster home, group home, or other
institution or care
facility that is located in the District;
h. The parents/guardians cannot be located; or
i. Other circumstances approved by the District’s residency
verification staff (School
Social Workers).
2. The enrolling party must have control and charge of the child, 24
hours per day and 7
days per week. The request to enroll the student cannot be primarily
related to
attendance at a particular school in the District, nor may the
request be for the
purpose of participating in athletics at a particular school, or for
any other similar
purpose.
3. If the person presenting the student for enrollment is not
that student’s
parent/guardian, the school will require the enrolling person to
fully complete a Non
Parental Affidavit
(Form JF-11).
4. Although not required for enrollment, guardianship can be
obtained by contacting the
Cobb County Probate Court located at 32 Waddell Street, Marietta,
Georgia 30090,
(770-528-1900). Information regarding this process is also available
online at
www.gaprobate.org. The Court may require a fee for this
process, but no fee will be
required if an affidavit of indigence is filed with the Court (See
O.C.G.A. § 15-9-61).
5. The District may object to petitions of guardianship through the
court system.
E. TEMPORARY ADMISSION:
Students with inadequate proof of birth date or residence will be
considered for
temporary admission awaiting necessary documentation. Temporary
Admission may be
granted by the Principal per the following guidelines:
1. If granted, the Temporary Admission shall be for thirty (30) calendar
days from the
date granted;
2. Prior to granting the Temporary Admission, the adult enrolling the
student shall
provide the Principal or designee a copy of their letter to the
appropriate agency
requesting a birth certificate or other documentation of the
student’s date of birth.
Parents/guardians who need information concerning local birth
certificates should call
the local health department the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
3. If acceptable documentation is not submitted to the school within the
thirty (30)
calendar day Temporary Admission period, the student shall be
subject to withdrawal.
The person who enrolled the student will be notified at least 10
calendar days prior to
withdrawal of the student.
4. Students pre-registering are not eligible for Temporary Enrollment
until the beginning
of the attendance period of the school term for which the student is
enrolling.
5. Provisions regarding transferal of discipline actions or felony
convictions for students
in grade 7 and above will take precedence over any Temporary
Enrollment.
F. IMMIGRANT STUDENTS:
The District is not responsible for making determinations
regarding visa and
immigration status. Schools shall enroll immigrants/non-visa-holders who
meet age and
residency requirements and shall not inquire about their legal status.
See also
Administrative
Rules JFABBA (Immigration Forms)
and
IDCFA (International Exchange
Program).
II. WITHDRAWALS:
The following procedure shall be used for the withdrawing of students from
the District:
A. ENROLLING ADULT:
1. A student should generally be withdrawn by the person who enrolls
them.
2. The parent/guardian who enrolled the student may provide the school
with written
permission for another person to withdraw a child.
B. WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT PARENT/GUARDIAN PERMISSION:
The District will withdraw without parental permission a student
who is not receiving
instructional services from the District through
hospital/homebound instruction and:
1. Who has accumulated 10 or more consecutive days of unexcused
absences. The Principal or designee will:
a. Use his/her best efforts to notify the
parent/guardian or other person who has
charge of a student if the District plans to
withdraw the student;
b. Pursue the interventions discussed in
Administrative
Rule JE [Student Conduct:
Attendance]);
c. Withdraw
the student effective the last day the student was in attendance;
d. Review
the withdrawal with Special Student Services if the student is in special
education;
e. Submit a
referral to the School Social Worker;
f. Submit,
if the student is under the age of 17, a referral to DFCS; and
g. Allow a
student who has been withdrawn for attendance purposes to re-enroll if
permitted
by applicable authority and he/she seeks to do so.
2. Who the District learns has been enrolled in
another school, school system, private
school or home student program;
3. Who is not receiving instructional services from the District through
hospital/homebound instruction; and
4. Who the District has validated no longer resides in the school’s
attendance zone (The
Principal or designee will use his/her best efforts to notify the
parent/guardian or
other person who has charge of a student if the District plans to
withdraw the
student); and
5. Who is not in attendance on the first day of school but was expected
based on prior
year enrollment (Such student shall be withdrawn as a “no-show”
student and shall
not be included in any enrollment or attendance counts).
C. DATA ENTRY:
1. The Principal or designee shall record the reason for withdrawal in
the local or State
Student Information System.
2. The student’s withdrawal date will be the last day of attendance or
the day the District
validates that the student no longer resides in the school’s
attendance zone.
D. PROHIBITIONS:
Students shall not be withdrawn:
1. As a consequence for disciplinary infractions; or
2. As a result of excused absences.
E. EIGHTEEN YEAR-OLDS:
An eighteen-year-old student may withdraw himself/herself from school.
An attempt
should be made to notify the parent/guardian if the student resides with
them.
F. PROCEDURES:
The District’s elementary, middle, and high school withdrawal form must
be completed
before withdrawal.
1. The withdrawal form must be signed by designated school personnel to
complete the
withdrawal process.
2. Teachers, media specialists, and other appropriate persons necessary
must sign the
form and fill in information in regard to attendance, grades,
conduct, and other
necessary information. If a student is under suspension on the date
of the
withdrawal, the terms of the suspension will be noted on the
withdrawal form.
Students with ongoing disciplinary procedures will not be withdrawn
by the school.
This includes, but is not limited to, a scheduled (not waived)
disciplinary hearing or a
pending disciplinary investigation.
3. The original copy of the withdrawal form shall be given to the
student, and one copy
shall be filed in the counselor's office.
G. DROP OUTS:
An unemancipated minor between the ages of 16 and 18 years old who has
not
completed the requirements for graduation, may withdraw from enrollment
in school, or
“drop out”, after the following criteria have been met:
1. The child’s parent/guardian provides the Principal or designee with
written notice
(Form
JF-10: Parent/Guardian Permission for Voluntary Student Withdrawal From
School) of his/her agreement with the child’s withdrawal.
2. Upon receiving the parent/guardian’s written permission to withdraw
the child, the
Principal or designee shall convene a conference with the child and
his/her
parent/guardian within two (2) schools days of the receipt of the
written notice.
3. During the conference, the Principal or designee shall make a
reasonable attempt to
share with the student and parent/guardian:
a. The educational options available, including the opportunity to
pursue a general
educational development (GED) diploma.
b. The consequences of not having earned a high school diploma,
including lower
lifetime earnings, fewer jobs for which the student will be
qualified, and the
inability to avail oneself of higher educational opportunities.
Adopted: 8/10/05
Revised: 6/14/06; 6/13/07; 8/8/07; 4/16/08 |
BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE
RULE