Please see below for a statement from Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 regarding residency requirements and home visits.
A number of parents and community members have had questions recently about our residency verification procedures, particularly why and how home-visits are conducted. While we want to make sure that home visits are conducted in a respectful manner, we understand that they nevertheless may feel intrusive. Unfortunately, they are a necessary part of our process of ensuring that only legal residents of Oak Park and River Forest may enroll at the high school. On an annual basis, we find that roughly 200 students seeking to enroll at the high school are not actually residents.
Every family who enrolls in the district completes an online form that specifically states that the district may require a home visit and/or additional documentation to verify residency. The district employs two investigators on staff to conduct surveillance and/or home visits for cases we are investigating. A variety of factors can lead to an investigation, including returned mail, calls from concerned neighbors and/or landlords, false leases, etc. Without exception, the district runs a database check and conducts a home visit for every transfer student. The investigators also conduct a home visit if the family of a current student states they are living with another family.
Because the district frequently encounters false claims of residency, we have found that oral confirmation from someone who answers the door on a home visit is not sufficient. Verifying that someone actually lives in the home by looking at sleeping areas, toiletries, personal belongings, etc., during these visits is imperative. Our investigators make every effort to be as respectful as possible during such visits.
For more information about the district’s residency verification process, please visit www.oprfhs.org/registrar.