Twice-Yearly Residency Verification
The parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a cyber charter school must submit proof of the student’s continued residency using the Charter School Enrollment Form. This documentation must be provided to both the cyber charter school and the student’s school district of residence by November 1 and March 1 of each year. In addition, a cyber charter school may request residency verification from a parent or guardian at any time.
*The requirement to provide proof of residence does not apply to a student identified as experiencing homelessness.
In addition to completing the Charter School Enrollment Form, a parent or guardian must provide a document containing their name and address, on any of the following:
- An active residential lease agreement or mortgage statement, no more than three months old;
- A bank statement no more than three months old or a utility or internet bill no more than three months old;
- A tax bill no more than three months old;
- An insurance document no more than three months old;
- A valid vehicle registration;
- A valid driver’s license or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation identification card; or
- A piece of mail sent by the federal or state government such as benefits information, voter registration, or tax documents
When a Residency Dispute Arises
If a school district determines that a student is not a resident of the school district, the district must, within 10 days of receipt of the Charter School Enrollment Form, notify both the cyber charter school and the Department of this determination and include the basis for its decision.
At this time, notification to the Department should be sent to ra-charterschools@pa.gov. A new notification process through the Department’s Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) is currently under development and submission directions will be shared in the near future.
Upon receipt of the school district’s notification, the cyber charter school shall, within 10 days, review the determination and notify both the school district and the Department whether the cyber charter agrees with the school district’s determination. If the cyber charter school disagrees with the school district’s determination, the cyber charter school must provide documentation establishing the student’s residency.
Within 10 days of receiving the cyber charter school’s response, the school district shall notify the cyber charter school whether it agrees with the cyber charter school’s determination.
If the school district disagrees with the cyber charter school’s determination, the school district shall appeal to the Department for a final determination.
Appeals to the Department are governed by Pennsylvania’s General Rules of Administrative Practice and Procedure (GRAPP), which are published in Title 1 of the Pennsylvania Code at Chapters 31, 33 and 35.
To file an appeal, a school district must submit a petition to the Department pursuant to GRAPP. Pursuant to 1 Pa. Code, Chapter 35, the appeal must be served upon the relevant cyber charter school and must in writing, state clearly and concisely the grounds of interest of the petitioner in the subject matter, the facts relied upon and the relief sought and shall cite by appropriate reference the statutory provision or other authority relied upon for relief. A school district’s appeal should be directed to the Secretary of Education at:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of the Secretary
607 South Drive, 3rd Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0600
Email: RA-EDCyberResidency@pa.gov
The Department’s determination shall be subject to review by the Commonwealth Court.
School districts are encouraged to consult their solicitors related to the filing of an appeal.
Status During the Review
While the residency review is ongoing, instruction of the student must continue uninterrupted, and the purported school district of residence must continue to make payments to the cyber charter school.
Recordkeeping Requirements
Cyber charter schools should retain documentation related to residency in accordance with their established record retention policies.