Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Residency Verification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District outlines residency verification timeline and flags state device law as an unfunded mandate
Summary
Administration announced a district residency-confirmation process with letters in early May, requested documentation due July 1 and verification by Aug. 1. The superintendent also said a new state law banning internet-enabled devices during the school day is unfunded and will require a district policy by September.
The Livingston School District told families April 28 that it will begin a residency verification process in May and that the district is preparing a policy to comply with a recent state law restricting student use of internet-enabled devices during the school day.
Dr. Fishbein said the district will start an electronic records review and send letters to families beginning the week of May 6. If the records review flags missing or inconsistent information, the district will request documentation be uploaded through the parent portal. The administration asked families to provide requested documents by July 1; the district aims to complete verification by August 1. "If we don't get in touch with you, you're good," Dr. Fishbein said when describing the initial electronic review.
The presentation stressed privacy protections and secure handling of documents; the registrar (identified in the meeting as Amy Ann) will help families who need to provide or clarify proof of residency. Dr. Fishbein said the district may bill tuition to families whose children are found not to be domiciled in Livingston and that, if a student's residency is in another town, the district will assist with transferring records to the appropriate district.
School trustees also discussed a recent New Jersey law signed by Gov. Murphy that will prohibit students from using internet-enabled devices for nonacademic work during the school day. Dr. Fishbein described the law as an "unfunded mandate" and answered a trustee's question about additional state funding with a one-word figure: "0." He said the district expects to receive a recommended policy from its provider and plans to have a district policy in place by September; limited exceptions will be available for students who require devices as part of an accommodation. The administration said consequences for device misuse are to be determined by the district when the policy is finalized.
Next steps: the district will mail or post detailed instructions and timelines to families, and staff will finalize the residency verification workflow and the device policy for board consideration ahead of the fall semester.
