5111
BP
Board Policy
Admission
The Governing Board encourages the enrollment and appropriate placement of all children who are eligible for enrollment in school. The Superintendent or designee shall inform parents/guardians of children seeking admission to a district school about admission requirements and shall assist them with enrollment procedures.
The Superintendent or designee shall announce and publicize the timeline and process for registration of students at district schools. Applications for intradistrict or interdistrict enrollment shall be subject to the timelines specified in applicable Board policies and administrative regulations.
All appropriate staff shall receive training on district admission policies and procedures, including information regarding the types of documentation that can and cannot be requested.
Verification of Admission Eligibility
Before enrolling any child in a district school, the Superintendent or designee shall verify the child's age, residence within the district, immunization, and other applicable eligibility criteria specified in law, the accompanying administrative regulation, or other applicable Board policy or administrative regulation.
The district shall not inquire into or request documentation of a student's social security number or the last four digits of the social security number or the citizenship or immigration status of the student or the student's family members. (Education Code 234.7, 49076.7)
However, such information may be collected when required by state or federal law or to comply with requirements for special state or federal programs. In any such situation, the information shall be collected separately from the school enrollment process and the Superintendent or designee shall explain the limited purpose for which the information is collected. Enrollment in a district school shall not be denied on the basis of any such information of the student or the student's parents/guardians obtained by the district, or the student's or parent/guardian's refusal to provide such information to the district.
School registration information shall list all possible means of documenting a child's age for entry into grades K-1 as authorized by Education Code 48002 or otherwise prescribed by the Governing Board. Any alternative document allowed by the district shall be one that all persons can obtain regardless of immigration status, citizenship status, or national origin and shall not reveal information related to citizenship or immigrant status.
The Superintendent or designee shall immediately enroll a homeless student, foster youth, student who has had contact with the juvenile justice system, or a child of a military family regardless of outstanding fees or fines owed to the student's last school, lack of clothing normally required by the school, such as school uniforms, or an inability to produce previous academic, medical, or other records normally required for enrollment. (Education Code 48645.5, 48850, 48852.7, 48853.5, 49701; 42 USC 11432)
Legal & Management References
State
17 CCR 6000-6075 - School attendance immunization requirements
22 CCR 1089-1 - Notification of unemployment insurance benefits
5 CCR 200 - Promotion from kindergarten to first grade
Civ. Code 51 - Unruh Civil Rights Act
Code of Civil Procedure 1002.7 - Provision in enrollment agreement waiving legal rights, remedy, forum, proceeding or procedure; criminal sexual assault or sexual battery
Ed. Code 234.7 - Student protections relating to immigration and citizenship status
Ed. Code 46300 - Computation of average daily attendance; inclusion of kindergarten and transitional kindergarten
Ed. Code 46600 - Agreements for admission of students desiring interdistrict attendance
Ed. Code 48000 - Minimum age of admission (kindergarten)
Ed. Code 48002 - Evidence of minimum age required to enter kindergarten or first grade
Ed. Code 48010 - Minimum age of admission to first grade
Ed. Code 48011 - Admission from kindergarten or other school; minimum age
Ed. Code 48050-48054 - Nonresidents
Ed. Code 48200 - Children between ages of 6 and 18 years (compulsory full-time education)
Ed. Code 48350-48361 - Open Enrollment Act
Ed. Code 48645.5 - Former juvenile court school students; enrollment
Ed. Code 48850-48859 - Education of foster youth and homeless students
Ed. Code 49076 - Access to records by persons without written consent or under judicial order
Ed. Code 49076.7 - Student records; data privacy; social security numbers
Ed. Code 49408 - Student emergency information
Ed. Code 49700-49703 - Education of children of military families
H&S Code 120325-120380 - Immunization against communicable diseases
H&S Code 121475-121520 - Tuberculosis tests for students
Federal
42 USC 11431-11435 - McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
5 USC 552a - Records maintained on individuals
Management Resources
CA Office of the Attorney General Publication - Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All: Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California's K-12 Schools in Responding to Immigration Issues, December 2024
Court Decision - Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
CSBA Publication - Legal Guidance on Providing All Children Equal Access to Education, Regardless of Immigration Status, February 2017
U.S. DOJ & DOE Civil Rights Joint Publication - Information on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in School: Questions and Answers for States, School Districts and Parents, May 8, 2014
U.S. DOJ & DOE Civil Rights Joint Publication - Fact Sheet: Information on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in School, May 8, 2014
U.S. DOJ & DOE Civil Rights Joint Publication - Dear Colleague Letter: School Enrollment Procedures, May 8, 2014
Website - CSBA District and County Office of Education Legal Services
Website - California Office of the Attorney General
Website - U.S. Department of Justice
Website - CSBA
Website - U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
Website - California Department of Education
Cross References
5111.1 AR District Residency
5112.1 AR Exemptions From Attendance
5112.2 AR Exclusions From Attendance
5116.1 AR Intradistrict Open Enrollment
5117 BP Interdistrict Attendance
5123 AR Promotion/Acceleration/Retention
5125 AR Student Records
5141.3 AR Health Examinations
5141.31 AR Immunizations
5141.32 AR Health Screening For School Entry
5145.12 BP Search And Seizure
5145.3 AR Nondiscrimination/Harassment
5145.6 BP Parent/Guardian Notifications
5145.6-E PDF(1) AR Parent/Guardian Notifications
5148.3 AR Preschool/Early Childhood Education
6170.1 BP Transitional Kindergarten
6173 AR Education For Homeless Children
6173-E PDF(1) AR Education For Homeless Children
6173.1 AR Education For Foster Youth