Suspected non-resident students

Question: What do you do when you know there are students who no longer live in the B-P school district who are still continuing to attend B-P schools? I'm frustrated as a taxpayer; I don't feel this is very fair.

Answer: I agree, this is not fair. In fact, non-resident families who attempt to circumvent our tuition policy could be prosecuted for committing fraud. We take this issue very seriously.

We responded to a question similar to yours last spring. We continue to use about 10 man-hours per week trying to track down non-resident students who are suspected of attending our schools illegally.

Per Board of Education policy, non-resident students are accepted only if there is space for them in existing classes and must pay tuition. Broadalbin-Perth's 2014-15 tuition rates for each new, non-resident student are $1,545 for half-day pre-K; $3,000 for full-day pre-K; $4,356 for grades K-6; and $5,324 for grades 7-12. The district charges different rates for established students and for children of non-resident staff.

If you suspect a family of attempting to commit this kind of fraud, please call the district registrar, Mary Chizek, at 954-2631 and we will investigate the situation.

- answered by Stephen Tomlinson, superintendent of schools