RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Illinois law provides that the residence of a student is deemed to be the same residence of the person who has legal custody of the student and permits only students who are residents of the School District to enroll. The person claiming custody must also reside in the District. To assist the District in determining residency and legal custody, the linked form below must be completed. The District may investigate the residency of any student before or after enrollment and require the involved parents to provide additional information to be considered by the District in determining residency. Enrollment is not completed and attendance will not be permitted, until all residency issues are resolved. 

Residency Verification Form 

 From Lincoln-Way Board of Education Policy Manual 7:60 - Residence 

Only students who are residents of the District may attend a District school without a tuition charge, except as otherwise provided below or in State law. A student’s residence is the same as the person who has legal custody of the student. 

A person asserting legal custody over a student, who is not the child’s natural or adoptive parent, shall complete a signed statement, stating:   

  1. that he or she has assumed and exercises legal responsibility for the child,  

  1. the reason the child lives with him or her, other than to receive an education in the District, and  

  1. that he or she exercises full control over the child regarding daily educational and medical decisions in case of emergency.  

If the District knows the current address of the child's natural or adoptive parent, the District shall request in writing that the person complete a signed statement or affidavit stating:  

  1. the role and responsibility of the person with whom their child is living, and  

  1. that the person with whom the child is living has full control over the child regarding daily educational and medical decisions in case of emergency. 

A student whose family moves out of the District during the school year will be permitted to attend school for the remainder of the year without payment of tuition. 

When a student’s change of residence is due to the military service obligation of the student’s legal custodian, the student’s residence is deemed to be unchanged for the duration of the custodian’s military service obligation if the student’s custodian made a written request. The District, however, is not responsible for the student’s transportation to or from school. 

If, at the time of enrollment, a dependent child of military personnel is housed in temporary housing located outside of the District, but will be living within the District within six months after the time of initial enrollment, the child is allowed to enroll, subject to the requirements of State law, and must not be charged tuition. 

 

From Lincoln-Way Board of Education Policy Manual 6:140 – Education of Homeless Children 

Homeless Students/Families 

Each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths including a public pre-school education.  A homeless child is defined as provided in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the Education for Homeless Children Act. The Superintendent or designee shall act as or appoint a Liaison for Homeless Children to coordinate this policy’s implementation. 

A homeless child may attend the District school that the child attended when permanently housed or in which the child was last enrolled. A homeless child living in any District school’s attendance area may attend that school. 

The Superintendent or designee shall review and revise rules or procedures that may act as barriers to the enrollment of homeless children and youths. In reviewing and revising such procedures, consideration shall be given to issues concerning transportation, immunization, residency, birth certificates, school records and other documentation, and guardianship. Transportation shall be provided in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and State law.  The Superintendent of designee shall give special attention to ensuring the enrollment and attendance of homeless children and youths who are not currently attending school. If a child is denied enrollment or transportation under this policy, the Liaison for Homeless Children shall immediately refer the child or his or her parent/guardian to the ombudsperson appointed by the Regional Superintendent and provide the child and his or her parent/guardian with a written explanation for the denial.  Whenever a child and his or her parent/guardian who initially share the housing of another person due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar hardship continue to share the housing, the Liaison for Homeless Children shall, after the passage of 18 months and annually thereafter, conduct a review as to whether such hardship continues to exist in accordance with State law.