Student Residency

In the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), enrollment procedures and residency verification are guided by Policy 9000: Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment. Per that policy: “All schools will have attendance areas determined by the Board. A student attending a public school in Howard County will attend the designated school serving the school attendance area in which the parents have bona fide residence unless reassignment is granted or administrative placement occurs.”

Bona fide residence

Policy 9000: Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment defines bona fide residence as: “The person’s principal residence maintained in good faith. It does not include a temporary residence or a superficial residence established for the purpose of attendance in the HCPSS. Evaluation of a person’s bona fide residence is a factual one and made on an individual basis.”

Custody and bona fide residence

In cases of separation or divorce, a student’s bona fide residence is determined by the following:

When primary physical custody has been awarded, documents regarding the bona fide residence will reflect that of the parent with primary physical custody, unless a modification of the custody order is provided. In such cases, for the purposes of Policy 9000: Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment, court orders or parent statements notarized by both parents can be used as proof of the modification of a custody agreement.
When parents have joint legal custody without a primary custody designation, documents regarding the bona fide residence will reflect that of the parent with whom the student lives for a majority of time.

Multiple family/shared housing enrollments

Parents/guardians who do not have a lease or deed in their name and have shared housing may fall under a Multiple Family Determination (MFD). This type of enrollment determination will be made by a Pupil Personnel Worker after evaluation. If eligible, additional residency documentation will be required to establish residency in Howard County.

Change of address

Current residency documentation must be updated each time residency changes. Within 10 school (business) days from the date of the move, the parent/guardian must notify their child’s current school of the change and provide new residency documents.

All families are required to report a change of address to their child’s current school, regardless of whether the move is:

In the same school attendance area.
Into a new school attendance area.
Out of Howard County.
Out of Maryland.
Out of the country.

When a family moves, the child’s current school needs the following documents:

Change of Address Form
The new deed or fully signed lease*
Most recent gas and electric bill or water and sewer bill for the new home

*If the deed or lease is not in the parent/guardian’s name and they moved in with another family, the school can connect the family to a Pupil Personnel Worker for help with updating their address and residency documents for the student’s file.

Loss of housing

Families who are experiencing a loss of housing should contact the Pupil Personnel Worker at their child’s school or the Office of Pupil Personnel Services.

Residency investigations

When a student is suspected of not living at the address that was presented, Pupil Personnel Workers and the Office of Safety and Security are tasked with investigating the student’s residency to ensure that they are properly enrolled.

A school may issue a residency-related withdrawal letter for various reasons including, but not limited to:

Documents used to establish/maintain enrollment are determined not to be valid.
A change in residency was not reported.
Required residency documents were not provided.

Appeals process

To appeal the decision to withdraw a student, a Residency Appeal Form and supporting documentation must be sent to the Office of Pupil Personnel Services at residency@hcpss.org within 10 school (business) days from the date of the withdrawal letter.

Along with the Residency Appeal Form, the following documents should be submitted. Additional documents may be required. Submitting documentation does not guarantee that residency has been resolved. All documentation will be carefully reviewed and verified by HCPSS.

A valid picture ID of the parent/guardian in the form of a current driver’s license or MVA identification card
One of the following proofs:

Deed in the parent/guardian’s name with all required signatures and dates
Current lease in the parent/guardian’s name with all required signatures and dates

One of the following proofs:

Current gas and electric bill in the parent/guardian’s name and issued within the last 45 days
Current water and sewer bill in the parent/guardian’s name and issued within the last 45 days

If the parent/guardian does not have a deed/lease in their name and lives with another family :

Deed or current lease in the homeowner/leaseholder’s name
Current gas and electric bill or water and sewer bill in the homeowner/leaseholder’s name issued within the last 45 days
Two different proofs of residency in the parent/guardian’s name and issued within the last 45 days (e.g. pay stub, Post Office change of address label, credit card statement, tax statement, or bank statement)

The Office of Pupil Personnel Services will make every effort to issue a determination within 45 school (business) days from the date the Residency Appeal Form and supporting documentation were received. While the appeal is being reviewed, students may remain in their current school pending the outcome of the residency appeal. Students involved in extracurricular activities are not permitted to participate until a residency determination is made.

Residency determinations are guided by Policy 9000: Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment. If the decision to withdraw is upheld and a family is found to be living out of Howard County, they will be charged tuition, retroactively, for the time each student was enrolled.

Tuition

Tuition rates are determined annually by the Board of Education. For the 2024-2025 school year, the in-state tuition rate for students in general education was set at $13,580, and the in-state tuition rate for students receiving special education services was set at $40,470. Out-of-state tuition rates differ.

Residency-related student reassignment

Families that move on or after the first day of the current school year have two options:

Request student reassignment under the relocation category to complete the current school year where the student is currently enrolled. The student will be transferred to the newly designated school the following school year unless they met junior status at the time of the move. Tuition is assessed for moves out of the county.
Alternatively, families may transfer their student to the school in the attendance area for their new address.

Contact

For more information, contact:
Office of Pupil Personnel Services
410-313-6997
residency@hcpss.org