Here I am sitting at my computer contemplating the end of another summer. Today is the perfect day to do this, because quite frankly it is a very dismal, introspective day in a school year that is winding up the first week of 2009-10.
If you know me, you are aware that I am a school secretary by day and fulfill my itch for writing in the off hours however few they are. I love the kids, the events, and the irresistable climate of education wafting through the halls. Yet each August as I prepare for teachers and students to return, I must also deal with registration and the ensuing problems that arise.
Having nothing to do with the teachers or their special charges, registration is a dance between the parents and the district of residence. In the ideal situation, parents will register in a timely fashion, demonstrating their residency, and paying the school fees that seem to climb regardless of the promise of free public education.
The truth is: it costs a lot of money to educate our children. Just look at a private institution's tuition and you know we are getting a good deal. Those schools do not do much more than public schools do when it comes to curriculum. The difference is in who is paying for it.
Back to registration. Schools want registration to be completed as soon as possible so they can make plans for the coming year. Knowing how many kids helps immensely to order books, desks, determine bus routes, and plan for teachers and classrooms. Most parents understand and comply. Sometimes they cannot pay the entire amount, but they do their best.
Proving residency is a big hang-up these days. In my district, this is done by showing a current signed lease and two major bills sent to the current home in the last month. They even had an incentive if turned in by the deadline. Some lucky family was selected for a visit to the local indoor waterpark. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?
Well, five days into the school year, people are still registering. Of course, new residents have an excuse, they weren't here, but the registrar is still taking returning students as well. What is up with that? This year there had to have been 20 registration days and people are still coming in. This is unbelievable to me.
If it was only a money issue, I can certainly understand having a limited budget. This is not the problem in my district. There are fee waivers and payment plans to help with the cost. If it was the scheduled time for registration conflicting with work schedules, I would be sympathetic too. However, the times and days have been all over the board to try to accommodate this problem.
So, why is this not important to some parents? Or why is it so hard to validate their address with school officials? A student is entitled to a public education in the school district they live in, not in a school district they want to attend.
For parents who have alternative living arrangements that cause them to make their homes with others, there are affidavits that verify the information with the homeowner or landlord. Parents who cannot do this need to go to the school district which reflects their address and register there. Problem solved.
