Birth Verification must list both the student’s
name and parent’s name. Items that may be
provided are:
- Birth Certificate or Maryland Certification of Birth
Card
- Physician’s Certificate
- Baptismal or Church Certificate
- Parent’s Affidavit (issued by the International
Student Guidance Office only)
- Family Bible
- Passport/Visa/Naturalization documents
- Birth Registration
- Other
Any student that is new to our county since September,
1998, must have a copy of the birth verification attached
to the Student Registration Form, PA14.
Note: If a child was born in any state other than D.C.
or MD., you may accept a money order, not
check, to vital records requesting the birth certificate.
Please give parents 30 days to receive birth certificate
in mail.
This does not apply to Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten
pupils.
Proof of age is required for kindergarten and new first
grade students. A copy of the birth verification
must be attached to the Student Registration Form, PA14.
If a new student is already registered in the Prince
George’s County Public School system, call the
previous county school to see if a copy of the birth
verification is already on file in the student’s
folder. If a copy is on file, you do not need
a new copy. Make sure to check the box other and specify
other school on the back of the PA14 under Birth Verification.
Effective July 1, 1992, the Maryland State Department
of Education mandated that all children in the state
of Maryland, who are five years old by December 31,
attend kindergarten or an alternative program. The alternative
programs may be one of the following:
- Full-time in a licensed day-care center.
- Full-time in a registered family day-care home.
- Part-time in a Head Start 5 year old program.
Compliance of the law may also be made through the
home school instruction regulation. Prior approval must
be obtained. The law also allows for a one-year level
of maturity waiver. The parent or guardian must file
a written request to the Superintendent of Schools or
his/her designee prior to the opening of school.
- Children cannot be enrolled in first grade unless
they have completed a public or private kindergarten,
one of the three alternative programs (indicated above),
or home school instruction.
- A parent or guardian of a child who attended kindergarten
or one of the alternative settings may enroll in first
grade, in the year in which the child becomes six
years old. The parent must show that the youngster
attended kindergarten.
- If the parent had enrolled the child in an alternative
program, they must have the director of that program
complete a First Grade Registration,
PA10. The day care provider must include
in the form their license or registration number,
expiration date, date the child enrolled and number
of days they were in attendance. THIS
APPLIES TO ALL CHILDREN WHO ARE MARYLAND RESIDENTS.
- A six-year-old moving into Maryland from another
state or territory, who has not had kindergarten experience,
may be enrolled in first grade. The parent or guardian
must provide proof that they just moved into the state
of Maryland. If the parent or guardian cannot provide
proof that the child attended kindergarten, or one
of the alternative programs, or that they are new
residents of Maryland, then the child cannot be enrolled
in first grade. THE CHILD MUST BE ENROLLED
IN KINDERGARTEN.
- Questions regarding the qualifications of any alternative
program providers should be directed to the Department
of Early Childhood.
If a five-year-old is registering with a report
card, promoting the child to first grade from the District
of Columbia, be sure to ask if the parents just
moved to Prince George’s County. If the
residency has been Maryland, the student must
repeat kindergarten and apply for early entrance into
first grade.
The required immunizations before children can be admitted
to elementary school are diphtheria, pertussis (whooping
cough – for children through age 6), tetanus,
polio, rebeola (measles), rubella (3 day measles), mumps,
and for the 2003-2004 school year, children in preschool
through grade two must have varicella (chicken pox)
and hepatitis B vaccines. Regulations are as follows:
- Require two doses of rebeola (measles) vaccine for
kindergarten students, with both doses given on or
after the first birthday, and separated by at least
30 days; one dose is required for pre-kindergarten
students;
- Require one dose of mumps, rubella and varicella
vaccines, given on or after the first birthday.
Physician documented history of chicken pox disease
is acceptable in lieu of vaccine history;
- Require Haemophilus influenza, type B (HIB) vaccine
for educational preschool programs;
- A physical examination shall be recommended of
each child entering the Maryland Public School System
for the first time. The examination must be
completed within the period of nine months before
school entry or up to six months after entry.
The examination must be performed by a physician or
certified nurse practitioner.
At the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year, the
parent or guardian of a child who currently resides,
or has previously resided, in an at-risk area for lead
poisoning shall provide to the designated administrator
of the child’s school or program, evidence that
the child has had blood lead testing, on entry into
a Maryland public pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or
first grade. A form provided by DHMH will be provided
for documentation of the blood testing for lead poisoning.
Education Article Section 7-403 and COMAR 10.06.04 establish
immunization requirements for enrollment in schools.
Form DHMH 896 complies with this law and regulation.
The school authority may also accept, in lieu of a form
provided by the Secretary of Health, a printed or computer-generated
form that lists the following:
- Name of the student
- Date of birth
- Name of Parent
- Complete history of vaccines received with month,
day, and year for each vaccine dose; and
- Signature and title of the physician, health official,
school official, or day care provider providing the
form, and date signed. COMAR 10.06.04.03B.
Side 1 of DHMH 896 is used for immunization
history data for ALL students entering the public schools
of Maryland regardless of age. Each student record
file MUST contain an original or photocopy of DHMH 896
or a printed or a computer-generated immunization record
form.
Homeless students must be enrolled with or without
an immunization record. These students have thirty
(30) calendar days to produce an immunization record.
School staff are required to assist these families in
obtaining the records or in making an appointment for
immunization within the thirty days.
Residence verification shall be a prerequisite of
admission to the public schools. Such proof must
have the parent’s name and address listed.
It must also be provided to school personnel with any
change in residence. Parent(s) and guardian(s)
who are registering their children in Prince George’s
County Public schools for the first time, must complete
the Affidavit of Disclosure, PA15, as required by law
verifying their legal residence.” (See Board
of Education Policy Number 5111.)
Residence verification maybe established by any of the
following documents:
- Settlement Papers
- Rental Receipt
- Tax Assessment
- W-2 Form
- Lease Agreement (A copy is acceptable. Most
Apt. complexes do not provide an original lease to
the lease holder.)
- Deed of Property
- Mortgage Statement
The above documents must be originals, not
copies, with the exception of the lease agreement.
Any student that is new to our county since September,
1998, must have a copy of the proof of residence attached
to the Student Registration Form, PA14.
NOTE: If there is some question regarding the
validity of one of the proofs, school personnel may
require additional information; such as a recent utility
bill or employment verification.
A NOTARIZED STATEMENT SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN
THE PARENT/GUARDIAN AND THE STUDENT ARE LIVING WITH
RELATIVES OR FRIENDS.
Some families will not have a house or apartment of
their own, but will have moved in with a relative or
friend. A notarized statement signed by both parties
detailing the living arrangement may be used as proof
of residence with the following conditions:
- All parties must sign the notarized statement.
- The relative or friend, who the parent(s) reside
with, must show their proof of residence.
- Additional proof of residence (more than one item)
is required of the parent. Proof indicates items as
a statement from an employer showing the new address,
phone bill, utility bill, bank statement, mail from
government agencies, hospital bill, car insurance,
etc. may be used.
The parent should be advised that the SCHOOL
SYSTEM RESERVES THE RIGHT to monitor this type of proof
periodically or as needed, normally 30 days.
If a student changes residence, only change a student’s
address while the student is in attendance at your school.
If a student is moving during the summer, the child
is to be withdrawn from the current school, and
the new school will enter the new address. Each
time a student moves from one address to another, even
within the same school, a Student Registration Form,
PA-14, is completed.
Always make a copy of the proof of residence and attach
it to the Student Registration Form, PA14.
Withdraw forms from the previous school the child attended
should accompany a student transferring to a new school,
but DO NOT keep a student from registering if they have
not properly withdrawn from the previous school. Call
the previous school to notify them that the student
is now enrolling in your school and to verify grade
placement.
When students are currently enrolled in a Prince George’s
County Public School and are being transferred due to
“program change”, a Student Registration
Form, PA14, is not required.
Examples would be:
- Transferring from a comprehensive school to a Magnet
school or reverse.
- Transferring from a comprehensive school to a special
educational program or reverse.
If the student moves, a new Student Registration
Form, PA14, must be completed. |
