HONORS COURSE INFORMATION

All children who wish to enroll in Tangipahoa Parish public schools are required to meet pertinent eligibility requirements. No student will be excluded from the appropriate school within the school district except by due process or failure to meet specifications of Board policies. The School Board recognizes that providing equality of educational opportunities for all children requires objectivity. The Board is equally concerned that all admission policies adhere strictly to applicable legal requirements, e.g. health-related standards. The following documentation is required for admission to a Tangipahoa Parish public school:

BIRTH CERTIFICATE (required for first time entry into school and for all transfers): All children must present their official birth certificate to the school principal in order to be registered for school. A copy of the certificate will be placed in the student’s cumulative folder as a permanent record. Only records from an official register of vital statistics will be accepted. If no birth certificate is presented at the time of registration, an application for an official birth certificate will be available in the school office. Parents or guardians must pay the required fee and the school must mail the application to the Bureau of Vital Statistics for the parent. A copy of the application must be placed in the student’s cumulative folder until a copy of the official birth certificate replaces the application copy. If no birth certificate is presented or the parent does not complete an application for the birth certificate, the student will not be registered for school and the principal will notify the TPSS Child Welfare and Attendance Department. A copy of the birth certificate will remain in the student’s cumulative folder throughout the student’s school life.

IMMUNIZATION RECORD (required for first time entry into school and for all transfers): All persons entering school (pre-school, kindergarten, elementary, or secondary) for the first time, at the time of registration or entry, must present satisfactory evidence of immunity to or immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases according to a schedule approved by the Office of Public Health, Department of Health and Hospitals, or must present evidence of an immunization program in progress. A current immunization record documented on a State of Louisiana Universal Certificate of Immunization is the preferred record of documentation. School principals and all teachers (including kindergarten) will be responsible for checking students’ records to assure that the provisions of this section are enforced.

SOCIAL SECURITY CARD: All children (including kindergarten students) are required to present an original Social Security card at the time of registration. A copy of the card will be placed in the student’s cumulative folder as a permanent record. The Social Security Number will be the student identification number and will be applied to all documents and permanent records pertaining to the individual student. If no Social Security card is presented at the time of registration, an application for a Social Security card will be available in the school office and a state identification number will be assigned to the student. A notice will be placed in the student’s cumulative folder that the application was made available to the parent. This notice will remain in the student’s cumulative folder for up to 30 days, at which time it must be replaced with a copy of the original Social Security card. School principals and all teachers (including kindergarten) are responsible for checking students’ records to assure that the provisions of this section are enforced.

PROOF OF LEGAL DOMICILE RESIDENCE: Upon registering for school, students must present to school officials evidence of being residents of Tangipahoa Parish (with limited exception). However, children temporarily residing within the jurisdiction of the Board who have no permanent address or who have been abandoned by their parents will be admitted to school, except as may be allowed by statute. Parents/legal guardians must give proof of legal domiciled residence, i.e. an Entergy meter or other electric meter deposit receipt with the actual name of the parents and the location of the residence. The domicile residence should coincide with the parent or legal guardian’s 911 address. Consideration may be given where a single parent may be residing with a relative. Each student shall provide the school his 911 address at the beginning of each school year. This information should be requested on the standard registration form. On-site visitation of legal domicile residence to verify that parents or legal guardians reside at the designated address may be completed where deemed necessary. School principals are responsible for verifying the physical residence of each student who registers at the school. The principal will develop a plan where each child’s physical address will be recorded in the official records. If the principal suspects a student may be attending a school out of his or her attendance zone without proper permission, he or she will make every effort to determine if the child resides in the district. Based on this information, the principal will make a decision regarding the appropriate attendance zone, if possible. The principal will make every effort to handle the matter at the local level.

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