Residency for local schools while renovating (but not occupying) or building a home? (documentation, property)
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So, if I am renovating or building a home in city A that I intend to live in , while renting a home in a neighboring city B, is it OK to send my kids to school in City A where I am renovating or building the home?
So, if I am renovating or building a home in city A that I intend to live in...
Probably... subject to the local school board policies.
You can be certain they have experienced the scams in this and know what Q's to ask.
do you own the land outright?
is the building permit in place?
has ground been broken? foundation?
You need to talk to the school and be honest with them about the situation. When my ex and I were building a house, yet still living in a different school district, we first talked to the principal. He asked many questions, including when the house would be finished. The school allowed us to begin the year in our new school so we wouldn't have to transfer the kids mid-year. Good luck!
I know in my neck of the woods this is ABSOLUTELY 100% NOT OK AND THERE ARE NEVER ANY EXCEPTIONS. The long ugly history of this has been tested in the Illinois courts and schools districts have ALWAYS prevailed -- the the rationale is that is that ONLY verified physical residence can be in ONE place while folks can own multiple residences. In Illinois this not a "school by school" thing and "being honest" is not going to cause any exceptions. If you do not live inside the district boundaries there is ONLY one way around this in Illinois -- folks that are "homeless" including those living in a hotel ANYWHERE in the state are legally allowed to enroll in ANY district.
I know in my neck of the woods this is ABSOLUTELY 100% NOT OK AND THERE ARE NEVER ANY EXCEPTIONS. The long ugly history of this has been tested in the Illinois courts and schools districts have ALWAYS prevailed -- the the rationale is that is that ONLY verified physical residence can be in ONE place while folks can own multiple residences. In Illinois this not a "school by school" thing and "being honest" is not going to cause any exceptions. If you do not live inside the district boundaries there is ONLY one way around this in Illinois -- folks that are "homeless" including those living in a hotel ANYWHERE in the state are legally allowed to enroll in ANY district.
I have always lived in central Illinois and like I stated above, we were allowed to do this. We were supposed to close on our house in Nov, but didn't close til the end of Dec. We were completely honest with the school and kept them updated on the progress.
ETA: I am absolutely not trying to argue. I just wanted to state that things are a bit different where I live.
Suburban districts tend to have a lot folks trying to literally falsify addresses to attend schools in better districts, some districts have full-time staff to tracking down this sort of thing. I suspect that sort of does not happen frequently / at all in many downstate districts and consequently the rarity of folks living outside the district they wish to attend may allow them to create a procedure for what is truly an extraordinary occurrence.
If you look up the registration policy on the district's site, you'll likely find that it's physical residence that is expected, not legal ownership of property. Obviously you could probably produce the documentation they ask for to show residence, but all it takes is one person to notice that your kids don't go home to that empty house every night and you've got a problem on your hands.
I agree with Wendy, depends on the district and length of time prior to move-in and occupancy. We were able to do it in Spotsylvania, Virginia when our home was being built. We stayed in an apartment in the same County, but it would have been a different school. The principal allowed me to register the kids in the home for the house with the understanding I had to supply transportation.
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