The Education Law Center (ELC) has important information on their website about the enrollment rights of children and their families. ELC is working with the PA Department of Education to reach out to families and schools and has developed guidelines for enrolling a child in a public school. ELC frequently hears from families having trouble enrolling a child in school, because they have moved, the child has moved, or the school requires documents the family does not have.  There may be difficulty enrolling a child when the family lives in temporary arrangements, or when a child lives with a friend or relative.

Here are a few points to keep in mind:

1.   A school CANNOT request or require a social security number, a child’s or parent’s visa or immigration status, the reason a child is not living with a parent, or the records of a child welfare or other agency.

2.  For a child living with his or her parent(s), you only need to show four things to enroll the child in a Pennsylvania public school:

  • The child’s age
  • That the child is immunized
  • That the parent is living in the school district
  • A signed Parent Registration Statement

3.  A child not living with their parents may be considered in substitute care, living with someone in another district, an emancipated minor, or be homeless. Each of these categories has their own enrollment rights and requirements, but remember all children have the right to attend school in Pennsylvania.

4.  Once these requirements have been met, the child should be enrolled within five (5) business days.

5.  Other forms (the Home Language Survey and a Registration Form with emergency contacts) need to be filled out, but that should not delay the child’s enrollment.

More Information:

ELC has created an internet resource on Enrollment Rights, which includes printable fact sheets (to take to resistant school officials!) and videos, in Spanish and English. Find it here: http://www.elc-pa.org/pubs/pubs_residency.html