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District registrar describes registration changes, immigrant enrollment trends and notarization support
Summary
Sarah Kirk, district registrar, described centralization of registration appointments, new ECC check-in and Raptor scanning, a reported decline in registrations from some immigrant groups, and an offering of notarization for caregiver affidavits while stressing staff will not provide legal advice.
Sarah Kirk, district registrar for Nantucket Public Schools, told the committee on March 24 that the district has reworked central registration to provide one-family appointments across grades, expanded language support and moved intake to the ECC (door 45) starting January 2025 to create a more welcoming and efficient experience. "The registrations that I tend to live in two school years completely," Kirk said, explaining why registration counts and enrollment totals can differ.
Kirk described practical changes intended to reduce bottlenecks: batch printing of guest passes for large events, Raptor scanning of adult photo IDs, and offering appointments in English and Spanish with interpreters available. She said registration appointments are used for incoming kindergarten and pre-K planning and that the district has begun scheduling rising grade-nine registrations with course-request meetings at Nantucket High School for a smoother transition.
Kirk reported a decline in registrations from some immigrant groups and linked the trend to the current political climate: "we are seeing that there are fewer immigrant student registrations... we feel that from the conversations that we are having with the families," she said, naming El Salvador and Brazil among countries she tracked. She also described a recent spike of inquiries connected to a hurricane in Jamaica that produced very few completed enrollments.
To support families, Kirk said the district now offers notarization of caregiver affidavits and similar emergency planning documents and will hold copies on file if families request it. She repeatedly stressed the district is not providing legal advice: "we are not giving legal advice," Kirk said, but noted notarization is available to help families prepare for unplanned absences.
Kirk also reminded the committee that the district remains in year three of a four-year Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) cycle for free school meals, and that CEP status affects federal reimbursement and related district reporting.
