Academics · Subject Resources

Every paper the school
will ask for, in one place.

Enrolling a child means proof of age, proof of address, health records and, after a move, papers from the old school. Mark what you have and what you still need, track each request you are waiting on, and the organizer counts down to the appointment, points out protections that apply to your situation and prints a list of what to bring.

Start an enrollmentWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Study skills kit, $29 for 33 items.

Enrollments

The worked example is made up: a move across town, next spring’s kindergarten registration, and a high school student starting from temporary housing. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject Resources$5

What you finish with
A record per enrollment: the child, school, date and reason; eleven documents marked have it, still need or not asked for; each request with who it went to, when, and when it came back; and questions for the enrollment office. Counts days to the appointment, documents in hand and still needed, open requests and the oldest wait, and prints a bring-along list.
Who it is for
Parents, guardians and caregivers enrolling a child in kindergarten through grade 12, and the family liaisons who help them.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per enrollment. Prints the bring-along list, the full record, every enrollment in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Study skills kit ($29) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Mark each document you have.
  2. Log every request you send out.
  3. Write your questions down.
  4. Follow up on old requests.
  5. Print the list and bring copies.

Start an enrollment

Enrolling a child

What usually proves whatNeedCommonly acceptedAgeBirth certificate, passport, hospital or baptismal recordAddressLease or mortgage, utility bill, bank or government letterHealthImmunization record; exam form where requiredPlacementReport card, transcript, IEP or 504 planWho can signParent ID; custody or guardianship papersWhat usually proves whatAgeCommonly accepted: Birth certificate,passport, hospital or baptismal recordAddressCommonly accepted: Lease or mortgage,utility bill, bank or government letterHealthCommonly accepted: Immunization record;exam form where requiredPlacementCommonly accepted: Report card,transcript, IEP or 504 planWho can signCommonly accepted: Parent ID; custody orguardianship papers
Districts set their own lists; this is what most of them ask for.

Protections that apply everywhere

Under federal law, public schools may not deny enrollment because of a child’s or parent’s immigration status, and may not require a Social Security number or immigration papers to enroll. Children and youth in temporary housing, including shelters, motels or doubled up with others, have the right under the McKinney-Vento Act to enroll and attend right away, even without the usual documents.

When papers are slow

Records from an old school, a certified birth certificate or a lease copy can take weeks. Ask the enrollment office what it accepts in the meantime; many districts let a child start while records arrive, and the new school can request records directly.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education (2014). Dear Colleague letter and fact sheet on school enrollment procedures (Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202, 1982).
  2. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Subtitle VII-B, 42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.; National Center for Homeless Education (nche.ed.gov).
  3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 34 CFR 300.323(e)–(f): transfer students with IEPs.
  4. Your district’s enrollment page: its own list of accepted documents.

The worked example is made up. Accepted documents and deadlines are set by each state and district; this organizer does not give legal advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.