Schools

More Renters Mean More Time, Money for Residency Investigations

Beachwood City Schools attribute jump in residency investigations to both policy changes and a jump in families renting, living with relatives

As the number of renters rises in Beachwood, so does the need for school officials to investigate whether students are true residents of the district.

During the 2009-2010 school year, the district began requiring yearly documentation of residency from students whose families rent homes in Beachwood -- typically a copy of a signed lease agreement. The number of investigations needed to verify these documents rose sharply as a result, from 28 in 2008-2009 to 65 in 2009-2010 and 65 as of November of this school year. An updated number wasn’t immediately available.

“I don’t think we have more families that are trying to cheat the system or anything like that,” said Lauren Broderick, the district’s director of pupil services. But given that the district spends nearly $20,000 a year educating each student, it’s important to make sure that all of them are genuine residents, she said.

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“Those procedures are important because without them the system would be abused,” said Broderick.

The district’s two part-time investigators were so busy this year that The additional work, which cost $1,200, brought the total for residency investigations this year to $11,600.

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The residency issue surfaced in January when at Beachwood High School by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Although school officials will not say who the suspended girls are, four girls – including at least one who dropped from the team at the same time as the OHSAA suspension – after their coach, Melvin Burke, was hired to coach at Beachwood.

Although the district considered the two students bona fide residents, the OHSAA ruled them ineligible for sports because of inaccurate statements on their change-of-residency forms.

District officials have said the players’ troubles did not figure in stepped-up efforts to ensure residency.

Besides verifying documentation for renters, the district also investigates cases where students claim to be living with relatives in Beachwood. In cases like this, the student is required to provide an affidavit from the homeowner that the student is in fact living with him or her.

Both types of cases are on the rise, Broderick said, which means extra paperwork for investigators.

Students from families who own homes in Beachwood are required to prove residency only once, when they enroll, Broderick said, unless something triggers an investigation. A probe might start when a student stops riding the bus, when mail is returned from a student’s given address, or as a result of a tip from a teacher.

Families of students in violation of residency requirements can be required to reimburse the district for tuition, but Broderick said such cases are not common. The district has never pursued criminal charges over residency violations, she added.


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