Dmitry and I have owned our current home in the Birmingham Public School District since 2001 or so. I went to Birmingham Public Schools as a child and that was a consideration when we purchased our own home. Now it is time to enroll our daughter in kindergarten, and the enrollment requirements surprised me. As I reported earlier, Birmingham Public Schools are applying stringent tests to ensure that the students who attend are those who are legitimately in the district.
In order to enroll Katya, we had to supply:
- The deed or closing statement from our home purchase.
- The most recent property tax statement (wondering why don’t they check that themselves just to get the most current records?)
- A current auto insurance bill.
- 3 current utility bills from different utilities. I found out when I got there that one of them must be DTE, which I get online, so I will have to print that out and take it back. Cell phones, Consumers and Comcast did not cut it apparently.
- The original birth certificate
- My drivers license
- DNA samples
OK, we did not have to provide DNA, but it felt like we gave just about everything else that could ever be possible, and more. I can’t wait to hear what I did wrong.
I am glad our tax dollars are being protected, but isn’t there an easier way?
Actually, those are the requirements for a property owner. If you are renting or in the process of buying then there will be some extra hurdles to jump through.
Good luck!
Written by Maureen Francis
SKBK Sotheby's International Realty, 248.430.4450
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Kristal Kraft 03.14.08 at 8:58 pm
Wow! You are right, that is a lot of work! Your school district must be a very good one, otherwise you wouldn’t have to bother proving you actually deserve to have your child attend.
I bet Katya is excited about going to big kids school!
Carole Cohen 03.14.08 at 9:12 pm
What’s the story if you don’t have a car? Just curious!
Maureen Francis 03.14.08 at 9:16 pm
They’ve never required any ID when I send in my property tax payments! I forgot to mention all the forms I had to fill out too.
Katya is excited about going to kindergarten. She is hoping that she will get ‘hot lunch’ every day. When she sees the cafeteria, she is going to be ecstatic. My child is more concerned about the menu than the academic program.
Kristal Kraft 03.14.08 at 9:19 pm
Considering Katya’s intense interest in the color of food and now the cafeteria, I’m thinking perhaps she should be attending Culinary Kindergarten.
Have you made a mistake in enrolling her in Birmingham?
Carole Cohen 03.14.08 at 9:20 pm
She will have them doing purple pancakes or some other wonderfully creative food in no time!
Chris Griffith 03.14.08 at 9:28 pm
Geezy. Are the schools *that* good that they have to police who gets in?
Maureen Francis 03.14.08 at 10:31 pm
3C – Do you really think there are people here without cars?
KK – Culinary school is a great idea. I think she would excel there.
Chris – If I weren’t a Realtor, I could answer a question about the quality of the schools. But I am a Realtor, so I will just have to refer you to a school evaluation web site.