Mayor John Harkins and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Robinson have agreed on a renewed focus to ensuring that students do not attend Stratford Public Schools when they are not legally permitted to do so.
The initiative comes at the request of Harkins, who said he has heard complaints over the last several months of non-Stratford students attending schools here. Unauthorized, out-of-district students attending Stratford schools impedes Stratford students’ ability to learn, the mayor said in a press release.
“Any student from outside of Stratford who does not belong in our schools directly impacts our students who are residents by draining precious resources that should be used to educate Stratford children,” said Harkins.
“Taxpayers should also not shoulder the burden of paying to educate non-Stratford residents.”
Robinson said, “It is our mission to ensure that all of our Stratford students receive the best possible education with teachers who are focused on meeting their needs. Students who might be from other districts need to be educated in their home district, whose mission it is to educate them. We will do all that we can to work successfully with our students, just as other districts are committed to working with their students. So, we are determined to work hand in hand with our town officials to ensure that students in our schools are residents of Stratford.”
The police department will be working together with the school administration, according to Harkins, and will be seeking appropriate criminal or civil actions, as applicable, to anyone found to be in Stratford schools illegally.
Anyone suspecting fraudulent activity with regard to residency and attendance in Stratford schools is encouraged to report such activity via the school district’s web site: stratfordk12.org/FraudReport.
Additionally, information on proof of residency requirements can be found here: stratfordk12.org/Content/New_Student_Registration.asp.