Post by WeNeed3 on Oct 21, 2010 15:55:55 GMT -5
D204 cracking down on nonresidents
By Kathy Cichon kcichon@stmedianetwork.com
Oct 21, 2010
In the past year Indian Prairie District 204 has stepped up its efforts to verify residency by implementing several changes and planning for more.
“We’re taking it more seriously than we ever have before and continue to keep doing that,” board President Curt Bradshaw said. “I think people will appreciate it and not feel like they’re burdened.”
Earlier this week administrators presented the board of education with a progress report on the district’s efforts to verify that all enrolled students live within the district boundaries. Those who attend a District 204 school but don’t live in the boundaries are committing a Class C misdemeanor. In addition, the district is spending money educating a pupil it is not required to — approximately $9,000 per student.
“Our ultimate question is ‘Did they establish that residence simply to access our educational program?’” said Mike Popp, director of school improvement and planning.
Among the improvements in the verification process is the designation of a residency expert in each secondary building, site visits and more personal contact with those suspected of attending class illegally.
“Just by tightening up the practice, there were many that we just talked to and never saw again,” Superintendent Kathy Birkett said.
The secondary schools reported greater compliance this year with the new requirement that proof of residency be shown before a student receives his or her class schedule, said Linda Rakestraw, assistant superintendent for secondary leadership services.
“It was a definite attention getter. You don’t get to go to class until you proved your residency,” Rakestraw said. “By the time school started it was right down to three or four kids who waited in study hall until their parents brought in their (proof of) residency.”
The district is also increasing its use of private investigators to determine if a student is legally in the district. Investigators are hired by scenario and paid by the hour, Popp said.
Last year the district hired a P.I. 12 times, and four were found not to be in compliance, Rakestraw said.
“We’ve already used our private investigator 10 times and we found seven not in compliance to date this year,” she said. “So we feel like that’s a 70 percent savings or return rate on that.”
There are several cases that are simply dealt with at the building level, Popp said.
At Neuqua Valley High School, officials dealt with six suspected students and found five were not in compliance. At Waubonsie Valley five of 10 cases handled solely by administrators were not in compliance, he said.
“Certainly it is taking time, but it is time well spent, we believe, especially for families it turns out they’re legitimate here. They want to feel comfortable, and we want to welcome them,” Popp said.
Of the cases investigated by a P.I., all involved students living outside Indian Prairie except one.
“The parent had the student establish residency in another part of the district just to attend a different high school,” Popp said.
Future improvements to the verification process include possibly hiring another hourly P.I. service and implementing an “exit verification model” at both fifth and eighth grade, said Martha Baumann, assistant superintendent of elementary leadership services.
“We want to know when we’re handing off to the middle school and when the middle school is handing off to the high school, that we have gone back through everything and cleaned it up,” Baumann said. “So that’s why those two grade levels are really being targeted.”
The suggestion was made to consider hiring a director of residency or registrar, but Birkett said it would not be possible financially.
“We don’t have money for another person, and we know we don’t,” she said.
While a few board members said some parents would not appreciate the frequent requests for proof of residency as students move into the upper grades, they also said many would understand the reasoning.
“Every parent, once they understand this could be substantial savings — money that could go into education for the legal residents and their students that we are charged to provide education for … I think the majority of the community would be supportive of these efforts,” Vice President Alka Tyle said.
napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/2056355-418/district-residency-compliance-popp-students.html
By Kathy Cichon kcichon@stmedianetwork.com
Oct 21, 2010
In the past year Indian Prairie District 204 has stepped up its efforts to verify residency by implementing several changes and planning for more.
“We’re taking it more seriously than we ever have before and continue to keep doing that,” board President Curt Bradshaw said. “I think people will appreciate it and not feel like they’re burdened.”
Earlier this week administrators presented the board of education with a progress report on the district’s efforts to verify that all enrolled students live within the district boundaries. Those who attend a District 204 school but don’t live in the boundaries are committing a Class C misdemeanor. In addition, the district is spending money educating a pupil it is not required to — approximately $9,000 per student.
“Our ultimate question is ‘Did they establish that residence simply to access our educational program?’” said Mike Popp, director of school improvement and planning.
Among the improvements in the verification process is the designation of a residency expert in each secondary building, site visits and more personal contact with those suspected of attending class illegally.
“Just by tightening up the practice, there were many that we just talked to and never saw again,” Superintendent Kathy Birkett said.
The secondary schools reported greater compliance this year with the new requirement that proof of residency be shown before a student receives his or her class schedule, said Linda Rakestraw, assistant superintendent for secondary leadership services.
“It was a definite attention getter. You don’t get to go to class until you proved your residency,” Rakestraw said. “By the time school started it was right down to three or four kids who waited in study hall until their parents brought in their (proof of) residency.”
The district is also increasing its use of private investigators to determine if a student is legally in the district. Investigators are hired by scenario and paid by the hour, Popp said.
Last year the district hired a P.I. 12 times, and four were found not to be in compliance, Rakestraw said.
“We’ve already used our private investigator 10 times and we found seven not in compliance to date this year,” she said. “So we feel like that’s a 70 percent savings or return rate on that.”
There are several cases that are simply dealt with at the building level, Popp said.
At Neuqua Valley High School, officials dealt with six suspected students and found five were not in compliance. At Waubonsie Valley five of 10 cases handled solely by administrators were not in compliance, he said.
“Certainly it is taking time, but it is time well spent, we believe, especially for families it turns out they’re legitimate here. They want to feel comfortable, and we want to welcome them,” Popp said.
Of the cases investigated by a P.I., all involved students living outside Indian Prairie except one.
“The parent had the student establish residency in another part of the district just to attend a different high school,” Popp said.
Future improvements to the verification process include possibly hiring another hourly P.I. service and implementing an “exit verification model” at both fifth and eighth grade, said Martha Baumann, assistant superintendent of elementary leadership services.
“We want to know when we’re handing off to the middle school and when the middle school is handing off to the high school, that we have gone back through everything and cleaned it up,” Baumann said. “So that’s why those two grade levels are really being targeted.”
The suggestion was made to consider hiring a director of residency or registrar, but Birkett said it would not be possible financially.
“We don’t have money for another person, and we know we don’t,” she said.
While a few board members said some parents would not appreciate the frequent requests for proof of residency as students move into the upper grades, they also said many would understand the reasoning.
“Every parent, once they understand this could be substantial savings — money that could go into education for the legal residents and their students that we are charged to provide education for … I think the majority of the community would be supportive of these efforts,” Vice President Alka Tyle said.
napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/2056355-418/district-residency-compliance-popp-students.html
