Enrollment Policy and Practice Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Commonwealth charter school unenroll a student who subsequently moves to a city or town in Massachusetts?

No. A Commonwealth charter school cannot unenroll a student because the student moved to another city or town in Massachusetts even if that municipality is outside of the district in which the school is located or outside of the school's region.

Can a student continue to attend a Commonwealth charter school if the student moves outside of Massachusetts?

No. If a student is attending a Commonwealth charter school and moves outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, s/he cannot continue to attend the Commonwealth charter school, and the school must unenroll the student.

Can a sending district review residency documentation for any student for whom the district has been assessed tuition?

Yes. Sending districts are permitted to review residency determinations of every student for whom the district has been assessed tuition. If the sending district has information that may indicate a factual error in the residency information, charter schools are expected to work with the district to verify or to correct the information. If necessary, the student's parent or guardian may be asked to meet with charter school and district officials. Disputes regarding residency should be referred to the Department only after the charter school and the district have made a good faith effort to resolve the matter. If a charter school fails to maintain documentation of a student's city or town of residence, or fails to make a good faith effort to respond to and to resolve residency questions raised by sending districts, the Department may place a hold on tuition payments for that student.

If a student is admitted to or attending a Horace Mann charter school and has provided accurate proof of residency at the time of application, can the student continue to attend the school even if the student moves to another city or town outside the school district in Massachusetts?

No. If a student attending a Horace Mann charter school moves to a different district, they can no longer attend the charter school.

Can a charter school unenroll a student who currently attends the school because they failed to complete an intent-to-return form?

No. Once a student is attending a charter school, the school may not unenroll students if the student fails to complete an intent-to-return form or fails to complete any other activity to "secure" a seat for the next school year. While such forms may be useful in projecting enrollment for the upcoming year, the responses on such forms are not binding, and students have a right to continue attending at the charter school. As a school assesses the number of seats it has available in an upcoming school year, the school should count any student currently attending the charter school as returning unless the family has explicitly and clearly communicated that the student(s) will not return.

Can a student be permitted to take a leave of absence during the school year in order to participate in a foreign exchange program or because the student is temporarily moving outside of Massachusetts?

No. A charter school cannot offer a leave of absence. If the student is not attending the charter school because they temporarily live outside of Massachusetts, they are no longer enrolled in that charter school. If they wish to re-enroll in the charter school, they must submit an application for admission and participate in the enrollment process like any other prospective student. Such student does not receive a preference when seeking to enroll again in the charter school.