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Policy committee recommends Groton nonresident-attendance policy for first reading
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Summary
The Groton Board of Education policy committee unanimously voted to recommend P5118, the district's nonresident attendance policy, for first reading after clarifying that its residency definitions follow Connecticut law and discussing edge cases including military families and McKinney-Vento protections.
The Groton Board of Education policy committee voted to recommend P5118, the district's nonresident attendance policy, for first reading after a detailed discussion about how state law defines residency and several enrollment edge cases.
Committee members repeatedly noted that the policy's definitions track Connecticut statute. "It's per the law," the board chair, Bev Washington, said, arguing the district cannot override the statutory definitions. Lauren Cassini, who the committee identified as heading enrollment and the lottery, added that "this definition comes directly from Connecticut legislation," and underscored the need for staff to take individual family situations into account.
Members raised several specific situations: children living temporarily in hotels, students staying with relatives or friends, families using Groton schools for extracurricular advantages, military families covered by the interstate compact, and students covered under the McKinney-Vento homeless liaison process. Cassini described enrollment staff's practice of following up on unclear residency cases and directing families to McKinney-Vento or other resources when appropriate.
Committee members said residency checks are performed at enrollment and verified annually for some categories (for example, interdistrict magnet students), and that staff use multiple tools including PowerSchool updates, registered mail, wellness checks and Impact Aid source checks to confirm residency. Cassini said these reviews are targeted and that the number of full investigations each year is "very few." The committee acknowledged the budgetary stakes, noting that nonresident enrollments affect district funding and that persistent, transient enrollments can strain resources.
To reduce confusion at future readings, members suggested adding a clear statement at the top of the policy indicating that the definitions reflect state regulations and attaching the relevant statutory text or a link. Mike (policy committee chair) proposed adding a short phrase such as "in accordance with state regulations" to the policy's opening definition to smooth the first-reading process.
Motion and vote: Andrea moved to recommend P5118 for first reading; Sean seconded. The committee voted unanimously to advance the policy.
What comes next: The policy will proceed to the full Board of Education for a first reading with the committee's suggested clarifications and statutory references incorporated where possible.
