APS Enforcing Student Enrollment in Zoned Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is auditing enrollment records throughout the district to ensure that students are enrolled in their respective zoned schools. The audit began at Grady High School, where the initial student enrollment for the 2012-13 school year was higher than projected.

Fraudulent enrollment makes it difficult for the district to plan and allocate resources and staff to schools and efficiently utilize available classrooms and other space, resulting in overcrowding and under-utilization of facilities.

As part of this process, the district will examine all aspects of registration documents, including affidavits. The enrollment affidavits signed by parents/guardians during enrollment and registration verify under oath that the information provided is true and correct. It also outlines criminal penalties and fines that may be enforced if false information is provided. A parent/guardian providing false information can be:

• Obligated to pay costs incurred by the district in investigating their case.
• Prosecuted, held criminally liable, and imprisoned for not less than one, or more than ten (10) years.
• Charged a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisoned from one to five years.

Examples of address fraud include utilizing another individual’s address as one’s own, improperly using a guardianship, or falsifying a document.

Parents/guardians of students who are not enrolled in their zoned schools are encouraged to withdraw their children immediately and enroll them in their zoned schools. The district will not seek penalties against those who voluntarily comply with this process. However, in instances where fraudulent enrollments are discovered as a result of investigations, the district is prepared to pursue all available legal remedies.

The community can assist in this effort by reporting instances of enrollment fraud, either by using the out of zone residency fraud email address (outofzone@atlanta.k12.ga.us) or by using the anonymous hotline (404-802-3450).

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