Dear editor,
I am appalled and saddened by the story I just read in the Review (Mixed messages: Residency investigation was focused on kids, June 9). Did Lake Orion Schools really send uniformed officers with guns to a minor’s home? How awful had the minor children been home. I’m sure the Webber-Phillips family would love to see this nonsense end, which is why they let (police) in their home. They would not have walked into my home without a search warrant.
The Michigan Department of Education website states: ‘District of residence? means the district in which a student’s custodial parent or parents or legal guardian resides. If a student’s parent or legal guardian reside in different districts, either may enroll the student.
Verification of Residency: A school district may require reasonable verification that a student meets residency requirements of the district. Sources of documentation may include: rent receipts, mortgage payment receipts, utility bills, property tax bills, voter registration, and driver’s license address, etc.
Children of School Employees: A district may enroll and count in membership children of district employees who reside in another Michigan school district without requiring a release from the resident district. The district would receive the foundation allowance amount of the resident district. Tuition may not be charged. The district is not required to enroll employees? children but should have a policy to ensure equitable treatment of such nonresident students.
As a divorced mother, I could enroll my children in the school district of my residence or that of their father. If they attended their father’s district of residence, an officer could go to his home and find little to no clothing. Also, it appears if I worked in the district, my children could attend without anything more than my pay stub showing ‘Lake Orion Schools.?
The Webber-Phillips family should be required to show no more than their mortgage papers and utility bills as proof of residence. Anything more is absurd. I don’t care how many nights they lay their heads down on pillows in Oxford, they have two homes and as parents should be able to decide which district they choose to send children to. Without a fight.
-Julie Chudzinski
Orion Township