In What District Should My Child Attend School?

Generally, a student attends school in the district in which the student and his parents live. If the student’s parents are separated, the student attends school in the district where the custodial parent lives. If there is no custody order, the student attends school in the district where the child is living with a parent. If the student is actually living with the non-custodial parent either by agreement of the parents or because the custodial parent abandoned the student, then the student should be able to attend school in the non-custodial parent’s school district.

If the parents are unable to support and care for the child and they place the child with another person, the student should be able to attend school in that person’s school district. However, a parent cannot let the child live with someone else just so the child can go to school in that person’s school district.

What if I don’t live with anyone-where do I go to school?

If the student is emancipated (not under the legal control of his parents), the student attends in the school district where the student lives. The student is emancipated if the student supports himself, is not dependent on his parents, files his own taxes, and lives in a separate residence.

What happens if we move during the school year?

If you move out of the school district during the school year, you can choose to remain in the same school for the remainder of the semester. If you want to stay until the end of the year, you can ask the school to allow you to stay in the school until the end of the year. It will be up to the school to make this decision.

However, if a student has completed the 11th grade at a school and then the family moves out of the district the student can choose to attend 12th grade in the school where she went to 11th grade.

Can I attend a school outside my district?

A student can apply to attend a school outside her district. The student may have to pay tuition at that school if the student is accepted by the school. Some schools have limited space for tuition students, so you may or may not be allowed to attend school outside of your school district.

LSC Code 1111200
Last revised 1-03