School residency cheaters investigated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like Friday's article is about PTA board members who live in MD...rumor has it that the PTA president at at least one of the schools mentioned does.

Well if you google the parent in today's article, she's on the board at Excel. Sounds like the "series" is going to tell 2-3 vignettes in a 10 part series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article makes it sound like some schools, including Excel Academy, aren't requiring parents to offer proof of residency. It should be easy for OSSE to crack down on that.

It seems more complicated to catch people who live in MD but actually can show "proof" of DC residence. I mean, someone who lives in MD but keeps a valid DC driver's license AND either a utility bill or car registration at the DC residence on their driver's license. Seems like it would be hard to do this for years on end unless you are renting out your old residence in DC (so you might well keep, say, the water bill in your name) or have a relative/close friend living in your former DC residence.

That's a good idea! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

The rules about proof is what is unfathomable. If a student is not FARMS, then the parent is employed with a certain income, if the parent has an income, they have to pay taxes according to where they live. Showing utility bills and other forms of proof is insufficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

The rules about proof is what is unfathomable. If a student is not FARMS, then the parent is employed with a certain income, if the parent has an income, they have to pay taxes according to where they live. Showing utility bills and other forms of proof is insufficient.

For real. Why not require tax returns? And if you can't provide tax returns for some legitimate reason (like you didn't work that year) require a laundry list of other items AND a home visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

The rules about proof is what is unfathomable. If a student is not FARMS, then the parent is employed with a certain income, if the parent has an income, they have to pay taxes according to where they live. Showing utility bills and other forms of proof is insufficient.

For real. Why not require tax returns? And if you can't provide tax returns for some legitimate reason (like you didn't work that year) require a laundry list of other items AND a home visit.

Because loads of people don't file taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article makes it sound like some schools, including Excel Academy, aren't requiring parents to offer proof of residency. It should be easy for OSSE to crack down on that.

It seems more complicated to catch people who live in MD but actually can show "proof" of DC residence. I mean, someone who lives in MD but keeps a valid DC driver's license AND either a utility bill or car registration at the DC residence on their driver's license. Seems like it would be hard to do this for years on end unless you are renting out your old residence in DC (so you might well keep, say, the water bill in your name) or have a relative/close friend living in your former DC residence.

That's a good idea! Thanks!

There's a simple determination: what's your primary residence for income tax purposes? Anyone who claims DC residency should be able to clear up questions quite quickly by reference to the address that they report to their employer for payroll tax withholding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's time to take this away from OSSE to investigate and hand it off to the feds and the US attorney to investigate and prosecute residency fraud. Some very public indictments for fraud and theft and services and civil suits for past due tuition should have at least some deterrent effect.

Um,. residency fraud is not within the parameters of the feds.

NP: Using a false address to commit a fraud and receiving US mail at that address in furtherance of the crime (DCPS/PCS do mail information including report cards to parents at the address of record), fraud across state lines, false claim of entitlement to federal funds, grants, etc. etc. Plenty of avenues to federal jurisdiction, if they chose to exercise it. And depending on how many people are in cahoots on a scheme, you might even be venturing into RICO territory.

Let's say the child enrolls in home boundary school -- those Title I funds would just be allocated to MD and not DC. It's the District that's really on the hook for the student allocation, not the Feds. I would seriously hope the Federal government goes after bigger fish than this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

It's neither simple nor complicated. An "ancestral" or grandparent's home in the District doesn't establish a child's residence unless the grandparent is registered as the child's legal guardian with the school.

[Anonymous]

I wish that Mayor Barry-Bowser would go after residency fraud. But she won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

It's neither simple nor complicated. An "ancestral" or grandparent's home in the District doesn't establish a child's residence unless the grandparent is registered as the child's legal guardian with the school.

Yeah, but old habits die hard. You think the people who works at DCPS/OSSE are going to go after their friends, neighbors, family, and fellow parishioners? Nope, nope, nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

It's neither simple nor complicated. An "ancestral" or grandparent's home in the District doesn't establish a child's residence unless the grandparent is registered as the child's legal guardian with the school.

Of course it doesn't, but it's a cultural norm and, like jay walking, the people doing it don't see what the issue is. They are from the district and still have a family tie to the city, and hence believe they are entitled to city schools if they are either better quality or more convenient than the ones where they live.

Enforcement and changing of hearts and minds is needed to change this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article makes it sound like some schools, including Excel Academy, aren't requiring parents to offer proof of residency. It should be easy for OSSE to crack down on that.

It seems more complicated to catch people who live in MD but actually can show "proof" of DC residence. I mean, someone who lives in MD but keeps a valid DC driver's license AND either a utility bill or car registration at the DC residence on their driver's license. Seems like it would be hard to do this for years on end unless you are renting out your old residence in DC (so you might well keep, say, the water bill in your name) or have a relative/close friend living in your former DC residence.

That's a good idea! Thanks!

There's a simple determination: what's your primary residence for income tax purposes? Anyone who claims DC residency should be able to clear up questions quite quickly by reference to the address that they report to their employer for payroll tax withholding.

yes +1

If unemployed then unemployment paperwork. If on SNAP or TANF then that paperwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the ancestral home - grandma or mom/dad keep their home in the city and all their grandkids use the address. Often the grandparents also watch the kids before and after school.

It is that simple and also that complicated to unravel. It is unfathomable to many newer residents who don't have extended family here.

The rules about proof is what is unfathomable. If a student is not FARMS, then the parent is employed with a certain income, if the parent has an income, they have to pay taxes according to where they live. Showing utility bills and other forms of proof is insufficient.

For real. Why not require tax returns? And if you can't provide tax returns for some legitimate reason (like you didn't work that year) require a laundry list of other items AND a home visit.

Because loads of people don't file taxes.

One of the forms of proof is a paystub which shows D.C. taxes being taken out. I think the majority of the uproar is about people who buy big mansions in MD, expensive cars, have an income, and yet take advantage of the D.C. public school system. Those who are FARMS, assuming your family includes 6 children or less with an income of 33k or less (http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines). Anyone making 34k or more should submit a paystub or proof of owning their own business. If they do not have proof of income because they are not paying taxes, working side jobs, etc., then they should apply for FARMS. If there is FARMS/Tax fraud, then that is on them if they are willing to go to such extremes. The paystub will get a big swath of out of city people who use D.C. because it is convenient on their way to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Not hard to show where you live. Come to my house. I'll show you my messy house, all my clothes, paperwork, ask the neighbors if I live here and so on.
Never seen people put up such a fuss and fight if they are not cheating.

This is how I feel. It's not hard to prove your residency. So report if you know of someone, and they can put to rest any confusion or questions. It shouldn't be a big deal to prove.

I agree. I'm not normally a fan of the Daily Caller, but this is a pretty good piece of investigative journalism. They really put in the shoe leather, and didn't sugar-coat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's time to take this away from OSSE to investigate and hand it off to the feds and the US attorney to investigate and prosecute residency fraud. Some very public indictments for fraud and theft and services and civil suits for past due tuition should have at least some deterrent effect.

Um,. residency fraud is not within the parameters of the feds.

NP: Using a false address to commit a fraud and receiving US mail at that address in furtherance of the crime (DCPS/PCS do mail information including report cards to parents at the address of record), fraud across state lines, false claim of entitlement to federal funds, grants, etc. etc. Plenty of avenues to federal jurisdiction, if they chose to exercise it. And depending on how many people are in cahoots on a scheme, you might even be venturing into RICO territory.

Let's say the child enrolls in home boundary school -- those Title I funds would just be allocated to MD and not DC. It's the District that's really on the hook for the student allocation, not the Feds. I would seriously hope the Federal government goes after bigger fish than this.

Of course they won't; but apropos to the bolded, they do have a means to exercise jurisdiction.