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TOWN OF WESTLAKE
WESTLAKE ACADEMY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES POLICY
Policy No. 1.01:
Date Board Adopted: May 4, 2009
Date Board Amended: June 1, 2015
Effective Date: December 31, 2015
Policy Category: Admissions
Policy Name: Proof of Residency Policy
Policy Goal: Clear and concise communication for students and parents regarding the
criteria to establish residency status for individuals seeking admission to Westlake
Academy and development of a process/criteria for the consideration of documentation
from Westlake resident grandparents that they are providing substantial after school
care for their grandchild seeking admission to Westlake Academy.
Policy Description: If, during the enrollment period, Westlake Academy receives more
applications from eligible applicants than there are spaces available in a class, then
admission shall first be offered to eligible applicants residing within the Academy's
primary geographical boundary, which is consistent with the geographic boundaries of
the Town of Westlake. The parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control
of an applicant seeking admission as a resident of the primary boundary must provide
proof of residency within the boundaries of the Town of Westlake.
Required Documentation to Establish Residency in the Primary Boundary
An applicant's parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control shall provide
one or more of the following documents as proof of residence within the boundaries of
the Town of Westlake:
• Tax receipt from the current year indicating home homestead property
ownership;
• Current lease agreement (subject to additional requirements below); GF
Current utility bill for the primary residential structure in the name of the
applicant's parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful controlLor-.
• Valid, fully-executed real estate earnest money contract to purchase or build
residential structure (subiect to additional requirements below).
In addition to one of the documents identified above, the parent, legal guardian, or other
person having lawful control adult establishing FesideRGY must provide a photo
identification card that includes the person's photograph, name, and an address that
matches the address included on the document provided from the list above.
Acceptable photo identification cards shall include a current and valid state-issued
driver's license, a Texas identification card, a military or government-issued
identification card, or a consular card. Westlake Academy will not accept a credit card,
debit card, or any club or retail membership card for proof of residency, even if such
card includes a photograph.
An applicant relying on a residential lease to establish residency must provide a copy of
a fully-executed lease with a lease-term that extends for the entire time period the
applicant intends to rely upon the lease to document residency. A residential lease
shall be considered acceptable documentation to establish residency only if the leased
premises is the primary residential structure on a property. Any family/person who
executes and submits a lease to document residency in the Primary Boundary without
occupying the leased property for as long as the applicant's child attends the Academy,
shall subject their child(ren) to immediate removal from the school and such action may
be considered fraudulent activity, unless documentation of another Primary Boundary
residence is provided.
An applicant relying upon a contract to purchase an existing home to establish
residency must also provide additional documentation of a closing date and intent to
inhabit the residence, which must occur within the first 90 days of the date the student
seeks to enroll. An applicant relying upon a contract to build a new residence to
establish residency must also provide documentation of an approved building permit
from the Town of Westlake and written notice from the builder confirming the
slab/foundation was poured prior to submitting the application for enrollment. The
applicant must also provide documentation from the builder of the estimated completion
date for the new residence, which must occur within the school year the student seeks
to enroll. In addition to these initial documentation requirements, the applicant will be
required to submit verification, according to a schedule identified by the Town of the
_completion of major construction milestones for the home including, but not limited to
framing, dry wall, masonry, roofing, plumbing, and electrical work. Responsibility for
providing documentation of the milestones identified by the Town shall be the
homeowner's sole responsibility. Failure by the homeowner to submit any or all of the
milestone verifications may result in the Academy unilaterally un-enrolling the student.
Extensions to the deadlines identified in this policy or by the Town may be granted by
the Superintendent if, in the Superintendent's sole discretion, extenuating
circumstances 'u► stify a reasonable extension. It is anticipated that an extension would
not exceed ninety (90) calendar days. Applicants relying upon a contract to purchase or
build a home to establish residency within the PrimaryBoundary must submit proof of
residency within the Secondary Boundary at the time the application is submitted, and
must provide the re aired documentation of residency at the Pnma!y Prima! Bonda address
within 30 days of occupying the Primary' Boundar 'residence. Failure to provide
required documentation maV result in a student's immediate withdrawal from the
Academy.
For a single-family residence, only one structure shall be recognized per legal address.
Secondary structures such as garages, garage apartments, cabanas, pool houses, or
cottages that are co-located on the property where the primary residential structure is
located, but are not recognized with a separate legal address, are not eligible to
establish residency under this policy. Further, a lease shall be accompanied with a utility
bill showing that the utility service for the leased residential premises is in the name of
the person leasing the primary residential structure.
Nonresident Student in Grandparent's After-School Care:
A student seeking admission to Westlake Academy, after August 1, 2015, as a
resident of the primary boundary due to a grandparent providing substantial after-school
care for the student shall provide the required proof of residency based on the
grandparent's Westlake residence and will be subject to the admission policy applicable
to all Westlake residents regarding their continued enrollment. The grandparent must
annually provide a notarized affidavit, on a form provided by Westlake Academy,
confirming the extent of after-school care to be provided by the grandparent.
The Superintendent shall have authority to approve such admission applications in
accordance with the following criteria: a minimum of ten (10) hours per week of
documented after-school care provided by the grandparent at the grandparent's
Westlake residence.
Required Documentation to Establish Residency in Secondary Boundary
If all eligible applicants from the primary boundary are admitted and the Academy
chooses to admit transfer students from the secondary boundary, the same types of
documentation identified above shall be used to establish residency within the
Academy's secondary boundary.
Residency Review
A Westlake Academy representative may make periodic visits to a residence to verify
that the student is actually living at the address provided on the enrollment application
or is entitled to enrollment as a resident because of after-school care provided by a
grandparent. A person who presents false information or false records to obtain
admission to Westlake Academy commits a criminal offense and is subject to
prosecution under Texas Penal Code Section 37.10.
Proof of residency shall be waived when a student is homeless as defined by law.
Dates Amended:
08103/09
12/06/10
08/13/12
06/03/13
11/17/14