Paying tax to Allen & sending kids to Plano schools (Frisco: transfer, neighborhood)

[Snowyy]

http://mobile.alternet.org/alternet/...fc7b567022327a

[Snowyy]

Read again, Its Norwalk ISD in Connecticut. Homeless students use transient shelter's address and go to assigned district's schools until they are placed in a more permanent accommodation.

[loves2read]

yes--I finally saw that -- also saw it happened in 2011--didn't see any updates on what happened to that mother
all those vindictive districts are back east--not here in TX--so don't know that attitude can be applied to this situation...
and she got in trouble originally because she was allowed to live w/someone who had city housing OFF the lease--a violation of the city's laws...and the people who turned her in to police for theft of services was not a school employee--but someone from housing who went to someone in the state judicial system--not local police/judge--
two women with vindictive attitudes who wanted to make a name for themselves IMO

I sympathize with her being indigent and homeless and yes--there should be better resources for people in those situations--
but it didn't happen in TX

this article explains what happened in addition to her charge/trial on theft of services in the school enrollment case

Tanya McDowell sentenced to 5 years in prison - StamfordAdvocate
article says she got 5 yrs in the school case and will serve concurrently with the drug sentence...

[Big G]

Originally Posted by nsumner

The bottom line here is that anyone that does this, is only looking for the BEST education for their children. Can you blame them? I personally don't have a problem with it.

Occasionally, I drop my kid off at school and happen to see the DART bus dropping off kids at the nearby public stop. I'd estimate there are 6-8 of his classmates using DART. I'm skeptical that so many kids living in PISD would choose to use a city bus to get to school, given that the district itself provides buses. I assume these are kids from elsewhere who are using fake addresses to attend PISD.


I can see both sides. On the one hand, it's theft of services. On the other, if I had to send my kids to most DISD schools, I might be willing to take some chances to get out of that.

In practice, as long as the kids aren't disruptive (or going to cause UIL eligibility issues), PISD lets it go, due to lack of manpower. The cost of proving the phony residence and taking it to court outweighs the cost of letting one more kid sit in the back. Plus, the type of kid willing to to go to that much trouble (like riding the DART every day) is usually a good student.

[Obamney1]

It is not about a quite student taking a chair in the back. It is about district's limited resources being spent on someone whose parents are not supporting the district with their property taxes. It is about people who take up big mortgages so their children can attend a good school district. They can be smooching off of the system as well instead of doing two jobs to pay their mortgage or living in a mansion located in a crappy district while sending children to another district. They wouldn't mind driving a BMW instead of a Kia.

If you cross school boundaries than home values change significantly. Old Deerfield residents are making sacrifice to live in older homes so they can send their children to excellent schools.Do you think they would mind moving to New phase? One family from Prestonwood area had to take their children out of the school immediately and pay PISD several thousand dollars to cover tuition for duration of falsified enrollment. A fraud is a fraud no matter how you put it. I do not see any difference between a parent falsifying records to use another districts financial resources and another parent embezzling money from someone's retirement fund in order to put his child in a fancy private school.

I urge you to report these cases anonymously, it is our duty as law abiding citizens.

[Souleiado]

Originally Posted by Big G

Occasionally, I drop my kid off at school and happen to see the DART bus dropping off kids at the nearby public stop. I'd estimate there are 6-8 of his classmates using DART. I'm skeptical that so many kids living in PISD would choose to use a city bus to get to school, given that the district itself provides buses. I assume these are kids from elsewhere who are using fake addresses to attend PISD.


I can see both sides. On the one hand, it's theft of services. On the other, if I had to send my kids to most DISD schools, I might be willing to take some chances to get out of that.

In practice, as long as the kids aren't disruptive (or going to cause UIL eligibility issues), PISD lets it go, due to lack of manpower. The cost of proving the phony residence and taking it to court outweighs the cost of letting one more kid sit in the back. Plus, the type of kid willing to to go to that much trouble (like riding the DART every day) is usually a good student.

I don't know obviously about the kids you see at the bus stop, but you could have many explanations . I know a few people that are at poverty level that live in a less than stellar neighborhood in Plano that did transfer their kids to a better school. Transfers cannot use the school buses . You could have also kids that need to get to school early or stay later due to different activities or tutoring , buses run only once in the morning and right after school ends , leaving no time for any extra activities . If parents are not available or do not have any transportation , the DART is the only way for those kids to get to school.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by Obamney1

I urge you to report these cases anonymously, it is our duty as law abiding citizens.

Be my guest. I'm quite sure the school will do nothing, as these kids boost the Hispanic pass rates, and make up for the in-district slackers. Even if you tailed these kids home, they could claim to be "visiting an uncle" those specific days. Tilting at windmills.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by Souleiado

I don't know obviously about the kids you see at the bus stop, but you could have many explanations . I know a few people that are at poverty level that live in a less than stellar neighborhood in Plano that did transfer their kids to a better school. Transfers cannot use the school buses . You could have also kids that need to get to school early or stay later due to different activities or tutoring , buses run only once in the morning and right after school ends , leaving no time for any extra activities . If parents are not available or do not have any transportation , the DART is the only way for those kids to get to school.

Valid points. Although Shepton kids get an extra activity/tutorial bus run, other schools don't. Perks of being the "rich" school, I guess.

[Bypass13]

If people complaint than PISD follows a procedure and they DO expel students, however every complaint is not legit as there are custodial issues involved. Believe me, people do complaint and they should. Every case should be brought to the authorities regardless of the outcome. If nothing else than district can squeeze good money out of these crooks or put a misdemeanor on their record.

I mean what kind of lesson is it for the kid, lie, cheat, break law and do financial fraud if it serves you? Why send them to a school, just enroll as an understudy with a mafia boss.

[Big G]

Look, I'm not condoning the practice, I'm just commenting on the reality of the situation. Let's suppose they DO bust some low-income family for faking residency. The most likely outcome is that the offending family just goes and rents an apartment in Plano. Net effect is NOTHING - there's no additional property tax generated, and the kid remains in the school. We're talking a tiny fraction of 1% who might be doing this - the cost of vigorous policing can't be justified.

As for reporting - I don't have any names for these kids. And, as Souleiado rightly points out, they could very well be legit PISD residents. This ain't East Germany - I'm not about to file an anonymous complaint about what I think MIGHT be happening.

I guess, since all the kids I observed are Hispanic, they could investigate all 200+ Hispanic students at the school for scamming residency. I'm sure that would go over well.