Proof of Residency Within R-7 School District Boundaries

As part of a continuing effort to tighten R-7 School District residency requirements, all families are asked to provide proof of residency before beginning each school year. This annual requirement will help ensure that students who are not residents of the school district are not attending R-7 schools. New proof-of-residency procedures were initiated during summer 2004 at the suggestion of numerous parents and staff members as a way to save district funds by eliminating the costs of educating non-resident students.

All parents or guardians of elementary and early childhood students are required to provide proof of residency during enrollment/registration, scheduled during late July/early August (see calendar). Residency verification is required during these enrollment/registration sessions before students will be assigned to a classroom for the school year. Providing residency verification late July/early August will help R-7 staff prepare for school and will streamline the elementary Meet Your Teacher Night, scheduled a few days before the first day of school (see calendar).

All secondary students’ parents or guardians are required to provide proof of -R7 School District residency during middle school and high school enrollments, scheduled for late July/early August (see calendar).

Families will be receiving additional information in the mail from their schools this summer about the annual residency requirements along with specific dates for enrollment sessions.


Residency
Board of Education policy and state law require that all students attending the R-7 School District be permanently domiciled and living within the boundaries of the school district. Students must live with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

Guardianship
Any student wishing to enroll who is domiciled with a guardian residing in the school district will submit a legal document showing court appointed guardianship. Exceptions will be made in adherence to federal/state regulations.
Students not domiciled with a resident parent or legal guardian will only be permitted to enroll if they are a “homeless child” within the meaning of state law or have sought and received a waiver from the district.

Parental Rights
The custody of a child is presumed to be held by the child’s parents unless a court order states otherwise.  Even in divorce situations, it is presumed that both parents will have joint legal custody of the child.  That is, they will share equally in all important decisions such as medical and educational. If one parent informs the school district that the other parent has been denied custody or visitation, that parent must provide a copy of the court document as proof.

Submission of Residency Forms
In cases requiring affidavits to certify that a child’s parent(s) and child are domiciled with a resident of the Lee’s Summit School District, current forms must be submitted each year, even when no changes have occurred from the previous year.