Fayette school system presses proof of residency for all students
The Fayette County Board of Education on Oct. 3 was updated on the residency verification of all students. The board was told that the number of unverified students has fallen to less than 1,000.
The residency report on Sept. 19 indicated that residency of 2,653 students had not been verified. That number changed to less than 1,000 by the time the board meeting was held on Oct. 3, according to Student Services Director Audrey Toney.
Toney said staff had mailed 1,700 letters to homes in English and Spanish for a total of two hard copies per household.
Parents are also receiving robo-calls and school system social workers were making home visits, Toney said.
The only board member commenting on the issue was Barry Marchman who said having an accurate accounting of student residency “is an important fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers.”
Some members of the school board at a previous meeting wanted to wait to give final notice of the removal of students until the first, and most important, student head-count has been completed. The head-count determines the amount of state money the school system will receive this year. The head-count will be done this week, according to Superintendent Jody Barrow.
Another update is expected at the Oct. 17 school board meeting.
The last complete check of student registry was conducted in 2011.
At its core, the residency issue deals with money. While the school system receives state funds based on the number of students, the school system also relies heavily on property tax revenues, currently based at 19.75 mills.
Whether they number 1 or 1,000, students attending Fayette schools while residing in another county do not bring property tax revenues with them. That money stays in the county where they reside.
