School residency cheaters investigated

[Anonymous]

she could be technically able to claim residency on the shadow home but it's more likely it's being sub-leased without a formal lease. That would be the trail that would get someone busted if OSSE bothered to check for duplicate claims on a given residence. While it seems implausible to live in a home while it was being leased to someone else there are families doubled/tripled up to make ends meet and that can be claimed on DC residency. She could be the official name on the lease while others are "just staying there" temporarily (and probably paying for the privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:she could be technically able to claim residency on the shadow home but it's more likely it's being sub-leased without a formal lease. That would be the trail that would get someone busted if OSSE bothered to check for duplicate claims on a given residence. While it seems implausible to live in a home while it was being leased to someone else there are families doubled/tripled up to make ends meet and that can be claimed on DC residency. She could be the official name on the lease while others are "just staying there" temporarily (and probably paying for the privilege.

It's legal only if the child sleeps there as his primary residence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public school educators, by and large, are about encouraging people to enroll in school. Not erecting barriers to enrolling in school.

At one point the DME cross sector task force was thinking about proposing a centralized residency verification process to take this out of the control of every school.

Honestly maybe they should put the DC DMV in charge of this - they are total hard asses about complying with residency laws.

Good idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is appalling.

Send the article to the chair of the DCPCSB and KIPP leadership.

They're probably all doing, seriously charter schools are big business and profits such a proliferation in the last few years. Has DC population grown enough to fill all these new schools?

+1

Like everything else in American public policy, follow the money folks. It's not that hard to see why residency cheaters are tolerated and even welcomed with open arms.

But it's not like KIPP would be suffering if they didn't accept MD families. There is a waitlist a mile long with DC families hoping to get in. That is what is mind-boggling.

Maybe not KIPP, but I know 3 out-of-staters who attend Hope Community PCS. They have plenty of empty seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are all the ways that you can confirm residency. The thing that struck me is the very last option for a home visit. So is it saying that if the school comes by your house once and is satisfied that the child resides in the home, that's enough for the school? It seems like anyone could meet the residency criteria based on this.


You can use any one (1) of the following documents to prove residency:

A pay stub issued within the past 45 days showing DC tax withholdings, displaying the name and current address;
Proof of financial assistance from the Government of the District of Columbia (i.e., TANF, Medicaid, SCHIP, Housing, etc.) issued within the past 12 months, displaying your name and current address;
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) annual benefits notification issued within the past 12 months, displaying your name and current address;
A copy of Form D40 certified by the DC Office of Tax and Revenue displaying your name;
Official military housing orders, displaying your name, the student’s name, and residency or home address in DC including but not limited to the DEERS statement;
Proof that the child is a ward of the District of Columbia in the form of a court order or official documentation from DC Child and Family Services Agency; or
Embassy letter dated April 1, 2015 or later, showing the name of the caregiver enrolling the student, a statement indicating that the caregiver and the student currently live on embassy property in the District of Columbia or reside on DC property approved by the embassy during the relevant school year, and an unofficial seal.

If you do not have any of the documents listed above, you can use any two (2) of the following documents. (The address and name on each of the below items must be the same.)

District of Columbia-issued Driver's License or non-driver’s identification, displaying your name and current address;
Unexpired lease or rental agreement, displaying your name and current address, with a payment receipt for a period within 2 months;
Utility (gas, electric, water) bill, displaying your name and current address, with a payment receipt or cancelled check for payment of the bill for a period within 2 months; and/or
DC Vehicle Registration, displaying your name and current address.

Or none of the items listed above because one of the following applies:

The student is currently homeless and the school’s homeless liaison has provided the appropriate homeless referral documentation to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education;
The person enrolling the student has consented to a home visit. The school can come to your home to verify your child lives at the address.

No - the requirement is that you reside in the District. Being able to "prove" residency when you live in Maryland, whether by faking a home visit, or by renting a D.C. apartment, or by using a friend's address for your tax withholding, is not the same as meeting the residency requirement. If you fake it, that's residency fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:she could be technically able to claim residency on the shadow home but it's more likely it's being sub-leased without a formal lease. That would be the trail that would get someone busted if OSSE bothered to check for duplicate claims on a given residence. While it seems implausible to live in a home while it was being leased to someone else there are families doubled/tripled up to make ends meet and that can be claimed on DC residency. She could be the official name on the lease while others are "just staying there" temporarily (and probably paying for the privilege.

It's legal only if the child sleeps there as his primary residence.

It doesn't have to be primary, and besides, who's going to be the judge of that? If someone has two legitimate addresses it's near impossible to prove one is primary vs. the other (ie see lopsided joint custody agreement). My point is that the DC address is likely fraudulent but possibly without smoking gun evidence that it's not used at all by the family. You'd have to be able to prove the DC address is not legit, which could be done with due diligence by OSSE.

[Anonymous]

I sometime got my neighbors mail by mistake (mailman dropped the pile in our mailbox instead of their). There were like 30 people using that address!!!

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. Has DCPS even bothered to respond?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sometime got my neighbors mail by mistake (mailman dropped the pile in our mailbox instead of their). There were like 30 people using that address!!!

that would be a good red flag. It would be easy for OSSE to cross-reference addresses and at least investigate cases with suspicious enrollment patterns. That would be a start

[Anonymous]

Well, she is a DC taxpayer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. Has DCPS even bothered to respond?

Our principal responded (from one of the schools mentioned in the first article) and basically said it wasn't an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is appalling.

Send the article to the chair of the DCPCSB and KIPP leadership.

They're probably all doing, seriously charter schools are big business and profits such a proliferation in the last few years. Has DC population grown enough to fill all these new schools?

+1

Like everything else in American public policy, follow the money folks. It's not that hard to see why residency cheaters are tolerated and even welcomed with open arms.

But it's not like KIPP would be suffering if they didn't accept MD families. There is a waitlist a mile long with DC families hoping to get in. That is what is mind-boggling.

A mile long waitlist is good if KIPP wants to open another school in the District. It means there's a lot of demand for their seats. So yes, KIPP will definitely let out-of-state students remain. People don't change schools frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, she is a DC taxpayer.

Excellent point. She's actually probably safe, from the financial penalties perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. Has DCPS even bothered to respond?

Our principal responded (from one of the schools mentioned in the first article) and basically said it wasn't an issue.

Do you agree?

[Anonymous]

Wow. News at 11. Watson and rosniak found a residency cheater who ticked all the boxes they wanted. They still couldn't use actual facts in their article--like the real tuition cost the woman would be liable for, but since they haven't shown any real math in any other article, this is no surprise.

"Cindy, look. It's a unicorn! It's a black woman with an apartment in DC and a boyfriend in PG! She cheats taxpayers! She is 'bold' about it! It's like a dream come true!"

"Byron, I'm not in the mood to gloat right now, because the actual news is too fucking depressing."