Documents Required for Enrollment

The following items are necessary for enrollment: birth certificate; immunization certificate; previous school withdrawal and discipline records; social security number; and residency documentation. Please see the detailed information listed below regarding these items.

Birth Certificates (Board Policy JBC)

All pupils new to the Hinds County School District shall submit a certified birth certificate (Long Form Version) upon enrollment.

Application for a birth certificate may be made to the Division of Public Health Statistics, State Board of Health in the Felix J. Underwood Building, 2423 North State Street (by the Veterans Stadium Parking lot), Room 110 (phone: 601.576.7981). A $12 fee is required for a certified copy.

Immunization Compliance (Board Policy JBC)

Students enrolling in the Hinds County School District must present a Mississippi Certificate of Compliance regarding vaccinations. Students enrolling for the first time or enrolling by transfer from an out-of-state school must present the certificate at the time of enrollment. Students enrolling by transfer from a school within the State of Mississippi may be temporarily enrolled for a period not to exceed 60 days until the cumulative folder is received. No student will be allowed to enroll permanently without a valid immunization certificate. The Hinds County Health Department may be contacted at 601.364.2666 or 601.924.6012.

Entry Records

1. When a new student enrolls in school, the parent must provide the discipline record as well as the withdrawal form with grades from the last school attended. The previous school may fax these records to the school office.

2. If a parent can/will not provide a discipline record, or the discipline record meets certain guidelines, the child may be assigned to the Main Street RESTART Center by Central Office administration for observation. This criteria is outlined in the unabridged form of this handbook and is available upon request or at the HCSD web site.

3. The length of a student's stay at the RESTART Center will be determined by the student's behavior while there. If a student continues to display the inappropriate behavior that was exhibited at the last school or setting a hearing will be held based on the behavior in our school district to assign the student to Main Street RESTART Center for a set period of time.

Social Security Numbers (Board Policy JBC)

All students are asked to present their original social security card when enrolling in the Hinds County School District. Disclosure of the student's social security number is voluntary, and failure to disclose the requested information will have no adverse effect on the student. If no social security number is made available, the student's assigned Mississippi Student Information System (MSIS) number will be used to identify and track the student.

Verification of Residence (Board Policy JBC)

The Mississippi State Board of Education passed a Verification of Residence policy on April 20, 1990. This policy requires that all public school districts in Mississippi verify the residency of students attending the district. School personnel may make calls or home visits to confirm residency.

Parents, legal guardians, or custodial adults seeking to enroll students in the Hinds County School District for the first time must provide documentation verifying that the student resides in the school district. However, transfer requests from other districts or within the district from one school to another must be completed on an annual basis prior to July 1st. Additionally, verification of residency is required in all grades. Students who are repeating these grades are still required to provide proof of residency as outlined above.

Upon enrollment, any parent seeking to enroll a student must verify full-time residency by submitting filed Homestead Exemption for the current year, mortgage payment documentation, property deed of trust for the family’s residence, or an apartment/home lease AND a current utility bill.  If the parent is unable to provide the items listed above, the parent must provide TWO pieces of business or government correspondence (dated within the last 30 days). HCSD does not accept affidavits, drivers' licenses/Mississippi state identification cards, or voter registration cards as proof of residence.

If an individual other than the mother or father listed on the birth certificate attempts to enroll a child, a copy of the filed petition for guardianship if pending and final decree when granted will be required. (No legal guardianship for educational purposes is allowed.)

Students who change schools during the school year due to a change of address must present proof of residency before they can be enrolled in their new school zone. If a change of address or home telephone number occurs at any time during the school year, the parent should report such change immediately to the school and provide the appropriate residency documentation.

Enrollment of Suspended/Expelled Students (MS Code Ann. § 37-15-13)

When any student applies for admission to or enrollment in any public school, the parent, guardian, or student must indicate on the school registration form if the student has been expelled from any public or private school or is currently a party to an expulsion proceeding. This criteria is outlined in the unabridged form of this handbook and is available upon request or at the HCSD web site.

The school board has the authority and power to designate or assign the particular school or attendance center of the school district in which the student should be enrolled and attend.

Late Enrollees (Board Policy JBC)

Once school has begun, students who enroll in the Hinds County School District must provide documentation of school attendance prior to that date in accordance with the Mississippi compulsory attendance laws. If a parent cannot verify the attendance of his/her child in a recognized school program, the child will be counted absent for each day from the beginning of school in Hinds County School District until the student's enrollment. Each absence will count as an unexcused absence, and the student will be subject to the provision of the attendance policy as outlined in the handbook. In the event of extraordinary circumstances such as a student's moving into the district from out of state, the superintendent or his/her designated representative may excuse these absences as an exception to the policy. However, all work must be made up during the time frame outlined in the "Attendance Information" portion of this handbook.