Policy 7131 – Non-Resident Students

The Board of Education affirms its primary responsibility to educate children who are residents of the District and who are of legal age to attend school. Non-resident families who wish to enroll children in the Greater Johnstown School District shall submit a request in writing to the Superintendent. The Superintendent will review such requests and make recommendations regarding non-resident student admission to the Board of Education. The Board of Education will have final authority to approve or deny such requests.

Non-resident student enrollment requests will only be considered where:

  1. There is sufficient space to accommodate the non-resident student;
  2. No increase in the size of faculty or staff will be necessary; and
  3. Admittance will not result in the establishment of a new class or section;.

In making determinations regarding the admittance of non-resident students, the District will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability or other legally protected category.

In the event a non-resident student is permitted to attend the District’s schools, his/her attendance will be subject to the following conditions:

  1. Parents/guardians must work out transfer conditions with the home school district or provide their own transportation;
  2. All rules and regulations in effect for District students will be applicable to non-District students; and
  3. Tuition may be charged to families of non-resident students in accordance with formulas approved by the State Education Department.

Children of Employees

The Board will allow school-age children of District employees to attend school in the Greater Johnstown School District tuition-free. This agreement is subject to available space and room as established by administrative guidelines.

Future Students

The children of families who have signed a contract to buy or build a residence in the School District may be enrolled for the semester in which they expect to become residents. Non-resident tuition shall be charged, payable in advance, with an adjustment to be made when the family becomes a resident in the District.

Former Residents

In the following limited circumstances, children who are not District residents will be permitted to attend the District’s schools without payment of tuition:

  1. Students of any grade who move from the Greater Johnstown School District during the school year may be given permission to finish the semester in which the move occurs.
  2. Students who move from the District after completion of the first semester of the year preceding their anticipated graduation year may be given permission to remain in the Greater Johnstown School District until graduation.

Foreign Exchange Students

Foreign students participating in a recognized Student Exchange Program may attend District schools without payment of tuition.

Reservation of Claims

Should a material misstatement of fact be made and relied upon by any administrator or the Board of Education in admitting a non-resident student without tuition, the Board shall be entitled to recover the cost of instruction for the time the student was not authorized to attend a school in the District from the person having made the misstatement or from a person in parental relation to the student.

Tuition Fees

Where applicable, tuition fees are computed according to a formula established by the Commissioner of Education.

Tuition of individual non-resident students shall be computed in advance at the time of enrollment. Methods of payment (e.g., monthly) may be arranged in the District Office and approved by the Superintendent. Non-resident student status is contingent upon timely payment of tuition fees as established by the Board of Education.

Legal Residence

Parents who maintain more than one residence, but whose legal residence for the purposes of voting or filing income tax is within the District, are eligible to send their children to District schools. However, school tax payments of non-residents who own assessable property in the District will be deducted from any tuition charges levied against such non-resident.

Education Law Sections 1709(13) and 3202
8 NYCRR Section 174.2

NOTE:   Refer also to Policy #7170 — Education of Students in Temporary Housing

Adopted: 04/25/01
Revised: 3/9/17
Revised: 06/16/22