Trustee requests review of residency enforcement policy and legal guidance
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Summary
A board member asked the Germantown Municipal School District trustees to examine the district's policies for determining student residency and the timing of removals, suggesting counsel be consulted to avoid disrupting students near the end of a semester.
At the Dec. 16 work session, a trustee asked the board to consider clarifying procedures for determining whether students reside within district boundaries and for timing enforcement actions.
Speaker 6 said the board has heard instances of students being removed from classrooms late in the semester after district residency checks determined they live outside the district and recommended the board examine what legal authority and timing safeguards exist.
"I would like to start a discussion amongst us regarding any legality that is present for us to put some guards in our policies and procedures when it comes to determining if children are residing out of the district," Speaker 6 said, suggesting the board consult district counsel and consider delaying enforcement until the start of a subsequent semester to avoid disrupting a child’s education.
The presiding officer (Speaker 1) agreed the board should identify specific legal questions for counsel and schedule discussion at an upcoming work session in the new year. No policy changes or votes were recorded during the meeting; the board directed staff to prepare legal questions and return with guidance.