Morris School District
MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Morristown, New Jersey 07960

Policy
File Code: 5111-R
Monitored: X
Mandated: X
Other Reasons
Procedures for Admitting Students
  1. The parent/guardian or adult pupil must present evidence that the student has had a comprehensive medical examination by the school physician or private physician. This is to be submitted on the school form or on a document with comparable information within thirty days of admission. For students entering Kindergarten, the medical examination shall have been completed after the January 1 prior to entrance or within 30 days following entrance. For other students entering the District, the medical examination shall be completed within 6 months prior to or 30 days following entrance.

  2. The record of immunization must include the following:

    1. DPT vaccine

      1. Students age five to six years require a minimum of 4 doses of DPT. One dose must have been administered on or after the fourth birthday.

      2. Students seven years of age and older just beginning to fulfill the requirement will receive DP in an appropriate combination of 3 doses. The second dose shall be administered 6-8 months after the first; the last dose shall follow the second within 6-10 months

    2. Polio Vaccine

      1. Students less than seven years of age require three doses of live trivalent Oral Polio Virus (OPV). One dose shall be given on or after the fourth birthday.

      2. Students seven years of age or older will satisfy the requirement with any three doses of OPV appropriately spaced.


    3. Mantoux

      1. Mantoux test is required for all students in all grade levels if transferring from another state or country without a valid record of Mantoux Test and result within the past six months.


    4. Measles Vaccine

      1. All students entering Kindergarten born on or after January 1, 1990 are required to have two doses of a live measles vaccine prior to school entrance. The first dose must have been given after the first birthday, and the second dose must have been given no less than one month following the first.

      2. Children born before January 1, 1990 and who entered Kindergarten or Grade 1 prior to September, 1995 must have had a live measles vaccine after one year of age or there must be laboratory evidence of immunity. Pupils receiving vaccines prior to age one shall be revaccinated.

    5. Rubella Vaccine

      1. Rubella vaccine or laboratory evidence of immunity on or after the first birthday is required.

    6. Mumps Vaccine

      1. Laboratory evidence of immunity or proof of the disease through certification by a physician or parent will be acceptable for students enrolled in Kindergarten prior to September 1, 1995. Laboratory evidence of immunity or documentation of vaccination after the first birthday is required for students enrolling in Kindergarten after September 1, 1995.

  3. Students may be exempted from immunizations prior to admission for religious reasons. The parent must submit a written statement explaining how the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the pupil's exercise of religious tenets and practices. General philosophical or moral objections to immunization shall not be sufficient for an exemption based on religious considerations. The parent statement shall be kept as part of the pupil's immunization record.

    Medical exemptions will be approved based upon the written recommendations of the student's physician. The physician's statement shall include the reason why an immunization is medically contraindicated and the specific period of time that this is in effect. The reasons shall be based upon the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee of the United States Public Health Services or the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. This is subject to annual review by the school physician to confirm that the medical exemption still exists.

  4. When students transfer into the District, a record of immunization from another school district is acceptable documentation. The nurse may verify immunizations over the phone, pending receipt of the actual records. Immunizations are part of the mandated records and must be requested from the previous district within two (2) weeks of the date of enrollment in the State of New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 18A:36-19a). It is expected that the former district will send these records within ten days after the transfer is verified. In general, the official record of immunization should be received within 30 days of entry in school. When records have not been received within this time span, the case should be brought to the attention of the Principal before the child is excluded from school.

  5. In the event that a parent/guardian or adult pupil cannot present evidence of immunization and no records can be verified over the phone with a school or medical agency, he/she shall be informed of the procedures for obtaining immunizations, including their availability at clinics and through the Board of Health. Students who have begun a series of immunizations under the supervision of a physician, clinic, Board of Health or other authorized agency shall be admitted upon presentation of proof of initiating such a series and may continue in school for as long as the appropriate sequence of immunizations continues. The minimum inoculations required for entrance to school include at least one of each of the following:

    1. DPT or DP

    2. Polio Vaccine

    3. Measles, mumps, rubella vaccine.
Proof of Residency
  1. The parent/guardian must present documentation that he/she is domiciled in Morristown or Morris Township. The principal or designee shall request three items as documentation of residence. These shall include: proof of owning or leasing a residence within the District, and bills for two different utilities for the current month with the name and address corresponding to those stated by the parent/guardian.

    1. Acceptable proof of ownership is a current municipal tax bill in the name of the parent/guardian or a document verifying that the parent/guardian has closed on the property. In order to document renting a residence within the District, the parent/guardian must present a notarized lease signed by the owner of the property or the management company, or an official of a municipal housing authority. In the absence of a formal lease arrangement governing the rental agreement, the parent/guardian must present a written notarized statement related to the rental agreement signed by the owner of the property or management company, or an official of a municipal housing authority. The statement shall also indicate if utilities are included in the rental.

    2. In the event that a parent cannot provide two utility bills, the principal or designee shall review the proof of ownership or rental agreement to determine if the move into the residence is so recent that these bills would not yet be available. Alternate documentation will then be requested, such as a combination of recently dated items in the parent/ guardian's name (e.g., bank statements, official government correspondence, or a notarized statement from an employer on the appropriate letterhead). If the parent/guardian cannot provide such documents, but the proof of ownership or rental agreement appear to be legitimate, the student will be admitted, and the parent/guardian informed in writing that two utility bills or alternate documentation will be needed within 30 days.


  2. There are situations in which a family does not rent or own a residence within the District, but may be considered a resident. Documentation of residence must include specific items, depending upon circumstances.

    1. If the parent/guardian and the student are residing with another party who is the owner of the residence and there is no lease or rental agreement, the parent/guardian must submit a notarized statement from the owner verifying that they reside at that address.

    2. If the parent/guardian and the student reside with a party who rents property, the documentation shall include a notarized statement from the owner of the property or management company, or an official of a housing authority with responsibility for the property verifying that the parent/guardian and student reside at the address: in addition, the person leasing the property shall sign a notarized statement verifying that the parent/guardian and the student reside at that address.

    3. As utility bills will most likely not be available in the above two situations, alternate methods of verifying residency are needed. The parent/guardian shall submit recently dated documents with the parent/guardian's name and address such as a bank statement, official government agency correspondence, or notarized statement from an employer.

  3. When parents/guardians have not presented all components of the proof of residency, but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the student is likely to be residing within the district, the student shall be admitted on a temporary basis. The parent/guardian shall be informed in writing that the admission will be terminated within 30 days if specific documentation is not submitted. The parent will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging that he/she has been informed of the conditions for continued enrollment of the student.

  4. In cases where documentation is not adequate or it appears that information is inconsistent, the student will not be admitted until the residence has been verified by an attendance officer.
Pupil & Parental Identification/Guardianship

The parent and child must be physically present at the time and place of registration. At the time of enrollment, the principal shall request identification of the student, such as a certified birth certificate. The names of the father and mother should be checked to determine if at least one corresponds to that of the parent seeking admission of the child.

If the District resident seeking admission of the student is not the parent, that person must present evidence of guardianship or placement by the court system or DYFS. A notarized statement by the parent designating the resident as guardian is not sufficient to establish guardianship or custody. Board approval for admission or an affidavit approved through the Central Office is required before a student is admitted if the resident is not the parent, cannot document official guardianship, or has no documentation of DYFS or court placement.

Homeless

Homeless children shall be admitted to the Morris School District in accordance with directions from the Commissioner of Education and state regulations. If the student is new to the district, he/she is to be admitted in a timely manner without lengthy delays in obtaining previous school records or medical information. Arrangements shall be made for a physical examination by the school physician or clinic and for initiating immunizations if medical information cannot be obtained from the parent or previous district. If academic records from a previous school are not available, the student shall be enrolled in a program consistent with the parent, student, and/or agency reports of previous placement and the age of the student. Results of standardized assessment to determine eligibility of Basic Skills instruction will be administered within 30 days of admission.

Undocumented Aliens

Undocumented aliens who are otherwise eligible for admission to the Morris School District shall not be excluded.

Early Admission to Kindergarten

Children who reach their fifth birthday within 30 days of the Kindergarten cut off date may be considered for early admission only when sufficient documentation exists to suggest that the student has exceptional capabilities in all areas of functioning. The parent must complete an Early Admittance Request form by May 1 of the spring preceding enrollment. If the student attends a daycare, nursery school or other preschool program, the Director and teacher must complete the District assessment form certifying that the student has exceptional abilities and recommending early admission. At least two appropriate certified staff members from the District shall participate in assessing the child. Assessment will be conducted during the summer, or sooner, subject to availability of staff.

Areas to be evaluated include cognitive, fine and gross motor skills, language development, social functioning, and general academic readiness skills. Developmentally appropriate instruments shall be selected by the evaluator(s) from the District. In order to be considered for admission, the student shall have scored in the superior range of functioning in assessed areas.

The evaluators in consultation with the Director of Pupil Services and a building principal shall review all documentation and determine if the child meets eligibility requirements.

The parent shall be informed of the results of the assessment and recommendations in writing. The judgment of evaluators will be final and not subject to appeal.

Intra-District Choice/Magnet Program

Criteria for Program and School Placement in Grades K-5

The filing of an application of the K-5 multiage program does not guarantee admittance to the Multiage Magnet School at Normandy Park. Enrollment of students into the Multiage Magnet Program is based upon the following criteria:

Sibling preference
Enrollment composition (ethnic, gender, race within the program and the schools);
Space availability;
Parent/student interest or need;
Transportation

If the number of applicants in any enrollment category and/or grade is greater than the number of available spaces in the Multiage Magnet Program, the remaining student registrants in any enrollment category and grade level will be chosen by lottery.

If program preference cannot be granted for the current school year, parents can submit a written request that their child's name be placed on a waiting list. As vacancies occur, student assignment will be made in the order in which written requests were received. Changes in program or school assignment will not be made after September 1.

Academic Support Programs

Basic skills, resource room and speech programs shall be available in all schools. Parents of students who require highly specialized academic support programs (Bilingual and self-contained special education classes) which are located at a single site, shall have the opportunity to choose an instructional program for their children provided the program and services required are available in the program of choice. As with all other children, program choices are honored within the framework of enrollment compositions, available facilities, staffing, and resources.

Once students are assigned to school, the building principal is responsible to assign individuals to classes within established guidelines. All homerooms shall be heterogeneously grouped to ensure an appropriately balanced student population. Instructional schedules shall be constructed to provide equal access of all students to program activities and facilitate mainstream opportunities for educationally disabled and/or bilingual students.

Request for Change in Program

Parents may request a change in program for the subsequent school year. Requests for a change in program must be submitted in writing between February 15 and June 1. Requests for changes in program will be considered in the order of receipt. Written notification of program and school placement for their subsequent school year shall be provided by June 15th. The Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction reviews and approves requests for a change in program. The transfer of a student to another program is subject to the same criteria as that issued during the initial choice process. If the District is unable to grant a request for a change in program, parents may elect to remain on a waiting list. Requests for a change in student placement will not be considered after August 15th.

Appeal Process

After receiving written notification of student placement, parents may appeal program or school assignment to the Superintendent. Appeals must be submitted in writing within 20 days of receipt of notification, but no later than August 1st. The decision of the Superintendent shall be final.

Date: April 14, 1986
December 9, 1996 Revised
January 25, 1999 Revised First Reading
February 8, 1999 Revised Second Reading
 

Morris School District | 31 Hazel Street | Morristown, New Jersey | Phone: 973-292-2300
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