School Enrollment

School Enrollment

Who Can Do What?

A "parent" is:

A natural parent, an adopted parent, or a legal guardian
An individual acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian
If parents are divorced or separated, only the parent who has legal custody

A legal guardian is:

Authorized to make decisions for a child that a parent would normally make (e.g., medical, educational, etc.)
Appointed through a court process where a person other than the parent is given custody of a child
Responsible until the child turns 18, gets married, becomes legally emancipated, or is adopted

A caregiver is:

Not a legal guardian
Establishes residency
Authorized to enroll the student and consent to minor medical treatment of the student
May have additional authorities IF they are a relative

A foster parent is:

An adult who provides a temporary, safe, and nurturing home
Does not have educational rights unless the student has been placed in a planned permanent living arrangement and the court has limited the parent's or legal guardian's right to make educational decisions

Power of Attorney is:

An individual authorized by parent or legal guardian to make decisions related to the health, education, or wellbeing of a child
Does not alter a parent’s educational rights
Short Term: Parents are unavailable due to reasons such as illness, business, travel, incarceration, etc., or are detained by peace officers or social workers
Long Term: A written agreement is made to have a relative or friend care for the child
- Can specify what decisions are to be made on behalf of the parent (e.g., educational and medical-related decisions)
- May be revoked at any time

Caregiver Authorization Affidavit

For enrollment purposes, a caregiver must complete a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit Links to an external site., a form that should be available at all schools as required by the Education Code. The affidavit:

Does not need to be notarized, does not expire, and does not need to be resubmitted annually unless there is an update to the caregiver’s information.
Assigns temporary custody to an adult, allowing them to enroll the child and consent to minor medical treatment.
Must be in substantially the same form as provided in FC 6552 and should not be altered by the LEA.
Requires only the caregiver's signature, not the minor’s parents.
Does not grant legal custody, and the caregiver does not obtain educational rights through this form.

The caregiver must notify the school when the minor is no longer living in their home, at which point the affidavit becomes invalid.

Enrollment Forms

Districts are required to collect certain information upon enrollment to comply with the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). California school districts must verify students' residency and age requirements for school attendance but should NOT collect information or documents about students' family immigration status or citizenship. Best practice is to allow the parent to complete the initial enrollment information, whether in person or online. After completing the initial enrollment documents, the school will collect the remaining required information for possible federal programs. There should be a clear distinction between phase one and phase two.

Example of Enrollment Paperwork Process:

Initial Enrollment Documentation:

Registration Application
Home Language Survey
Student Housing Questionnaire (SHQ)
Emergency Card and Court Documents
Immunizations

Secondary Enrollment Documentation:

Place of Birth
US Entry Date
Date the Student FIRST Attended School in the US

Supplementary Enrollment Documentation:

Residency Verification
Proof of Age Affidavit
Temporary Residence Affidavit
Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit
Dispute Resolution

For more information, refer to the following guides:

Enrollment Verification

LEAs may continue using their current policies to verify enrollment documents. For health and safety reasons, it is advised to accept submitted documents and contingently enroll students. LEAs can accept email attachments of scanned documents or photos taken on a cell phone, which are then forwarded to the enrollment clerk or administrator. If there are doubts about the authenticity of a document, the parent should be asked to provide appropriate proof according to current LEA policies.

Immunization records may be copied without any HIPAA or FERPA violations and are required for enrollment, especially at checkpoints for Kindergarten/First grade, 7th grade, and for newly immigrated students to California.

Questionable Documents: If the LEA questions the authenticity of a document received via email, best practice is to request the document from the parent at the school site.

Verifying a Student's Age: California EC 48002 Links to an external site.allows various options for parents or guardians to provide proof of a student’s birth date, including:

A certified copy of a birth record or a statement by the local registrar or a county recorder certifying the date of birth
A baptismal certificate
A passport
An affidavit from the parent, guardian, or custodian of the minor

If a student was born out of the country, the parent/guardian does not have to provide a translated copy of the birth certificate or have the document notarized. If translation is required, the LEA must provide it. Practices against Plyler vs. Doe Links to an external site. that may discourage families from enrolling children in school should be avoided.

Special Populations

For enrollment questions related to students experiencing homelessness and/or students in the foster care system, please visit:

For questions or assistance, please contact our Child Welfare & Attendance Unit at (526) 922-6233 or cwa@lacoe.edu.