REQUIRED ADM COUNTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STATE FUNDING AND VERIFICATION OF RESIDENCY FOR MEMBERSHIP

REQUIRED ADM COUNTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STATE FUNDING AND VERIFICATION OF RESIDENCY FOR MEMBERSHIP

po6250Adopted October 13, 2020Revised February 11, 2025

6250 - REQUIRED ADM COUNTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STATE FUNDING AND VERIFICATION OF RESIDENCY FOR MEMBERSHIP

The School Board expects enrolled students to be in regular attendance and engaged in the School Corporation's education programs in accordance with the provisions of the State compulsory attendance law, other provisions of State student attendance statutes found in I.C. 20-33-2, and the provisions of Policy 5200 - Attendance. Additionally, the Board expects the cooperation of parents in monitoring the attendance of their children to comply with the above statutes and policies.

A major portion of State funding for school corporations is determined by a count of enrolled students taken on days selected by the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE). This count is referred to as the Average Daily Membership ('ADM') count. The fall ADM and spring ADM counts are to be exact counts of eligible students enrolled in the Corporation by grade and school on the dates set by SBOW for the ADM count. An eligible student is a student who is enrolled in the Corporation on the ADM count day. A student may not be counted as an eligible student in more than one (1) school corporation.  Pursuant to State and Federal law, the fall count of ADM shall be made on October 1 or another date set by the SBOE to align the count of ADM with the Federal pupil enrollment ("PE") count. The spring count of ADM shall be made on a day during February fixed by the SBOE.

The Board requires the Superintendent to establish administrative guidelines that detail the procedures that shall be followed by all staff members involved in taking the ADM count in each school. These guidelines shall be made with the purpose of establishing internal controls to provide for timely and accurate ADM reporting to the IDOE. These guidelines also shall assign to a building-level staff member the duty and responsibility of compiling the ADM count. The ADM count in each school building shall be documented by providing a list of student names and unique student numbers assigned to each student through the IDOE system of identification. The individual assigned the duty and responsibility of compiling the ADM count shall sign a written certification of authenticity and accuracy of the count total, the accompanying student list of names and numbers, and the acknowledgment that each student on the list is an 'eligible student' for the Corporation's ADM count. The individual assigned the duty and responsibility of compiling, documenting, and certifying the count in each school building shall submit said count, documentation, and certification to an individual assigned by the Superintendent to compile the total ADM count for the Corporation. The guidelines also shall detail the individual responsible for retaining the records of the ADM count and related documentation. The supporting documentation of enrollment and attendance information by grade and school building shall be signed by the building principal and retained for audit purposes to substantiate the ADM count claimed. The guidelines shall require the individual submitting the ADM count to the IDOE to follow the IDOE Membership Layout instructional forms.

Before reporting any student for membership, the Corporation shall consider the following expectations regarding student residency verification as well as exceptions to residency requirements.

Definitions

  1. "Attending" means physical or virtual presence of a student with the expectation of continued services in the education programs for which the student is registered.
  2. "Enrolled" means to be:
     
    1. registered with the Corporation to attend educational programs offered by or through the Corporation; and
    2. attending these educational programs or receiving educational services.

Expectations for Student Residency Verification are as follows:

  1. The Corporation shall maintain proof of Indiana residency for each student in the student's electronic or hard copy file.
  2. Proof of residency shall be filed for each student whom the Corporation counts for membership.
     
    1. For a student enrolling from one year to the next at the Corporation, a parent/guardian shall confirm re-enrollment of the student either in-person or through an online registration process. If the Corporation brings forward enrollment from the prior year, students cannot be reported for Membership (ME, MA, MV) without verification of consistent attendance prior to the ADM count day.
    2. As part of the registration process (either in-person or online), the Corporation shall share the residency information it currently has on file for each student. The parent/guardian shall certify on a school-designed form that the student's address is either unchanged or changed. If changed, the new address shall be updated, and the parent/guardian shall be required to provide physical proof of the address change.
    3. A parent/guardian does not have to refile proof of residency each year for a student unless the address changes.
  3. Proof of residency shall be on hand for each student prior to the student being claimed on the fall and/or spring ADM count dates.
  4. If a student enrolls in the Corporation during the school year, proof of Indiana residency shall be filed with the Corporation.
  5. If a student has a change of address from one school year to another, the prior residency documents shall be maintained in the student's file. For audit purposes, the Corporation shall be able to produce a physical or scanned copy of residency proof for current and prior residency of each student.
  6. The Board annually shall adopt or readopt a policy that specifies documentation, not to exceed three (3) items, required to verify Indiana residency.
  7. Documentation supporting proof of residency may include such items as a current utility bill, telephone bill, tax return, bank statement, mortgage statement, rental/lease agreement, medical bill, or other similar documentation that provides a verifiable address. Documentation shall be dated within sixty (60) days of student enrollment and the date shall be clearly identified and readable on the copy on file for the student.
  8. The Board requires one (1) of the following three (3) items as documentation of proof of residency for its students, with limited exceptions set forth below:
     
    1. a current utility bill (dated within sixty (60) days of student enrollment)
    2. a current bank statement (dated within sixty (60) days of student enrollment)
    3. a current rental/lease agreement (dated within sixty (60) days of student enrollment)

Copies of these documents shall be retained by the Corporation in each student’s cumulative file.

Other Types of Proof of Residency:

Some students may not have required residency documents due to McKinney-Vento status, Third Party Custodial status, Foster Care status, etc. The documentation of proof of residency for these students that shall be maintained by the Corporation is set forth below.

McKinney-Vento (Homeless)

A completed IN Education for Homeless Children & Youth (INEHCY) McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program Housing Questionnaire may serve as documentation of proof of residency for homeless students and shall be retained by the Corporation as proof of residency if the above-referenced documentation is not available. (See also Board Policy 5111.01 - Homeless Students)

Third Party Custodial

The Corporation shall maintain the residency documents of the custodial guardian the student is residing with as documentation of proof of Indiana residency. (See also Board Policy 5111 - Determination of Legal Settlement and Eligibility for Enrollment of Student without Legal Settlement in the Corporation)

Placement of a student by DCS, FSSA, Courts, etc.

The Corporation shall maintain either of the following as documentation of proof of Indiana residency of the student:

  1. Residency documents from the custodial guardian, foster family, etc. with whom the student is residing.
  2. A court order, placement letter, or other document evidencing the placement on the appropriate state or county letterhead.

    (See also Board Policy 5111.03 - Children and Youth in Foster Care)

Exceptions to Indiana Residency Requirements include:

Foreign Exchange Student

This applies to foreign exchange students who are residing in, enrolled, and attending the Corporation, excluding foreign students enrolled and attending with an F1 Visa. The Corporation shall maintain residency documents of the host family with whom the student is residing for proof of Indiana residency.

(See also Board Policy 5114 - Nonimmigrant Students and Foreign Exchange Program)

Student of an Active Military Family Member

The Corporation shall maintain the following as documentation of proof of Indiana residency for a student of an active Military family member:

  1. Official military order of deployment or pending transfer supported in writing on official letterhead from the appropriate military branch.
  2. The address may include a temporary on-base leased home or apartment, purchased or leased home or apartment or federal government housing or off-base military housing.

    (See also Board Policy 5111.02 - Educational Opportunity for Military Children)

Required Count of Students Completing Graduation Requirements Before Second Semester ADM Counts

Each high school principal in the School Corporation shall be responsible to prepare a count of students enrolled in the first semester and were counted in the fall ADM count and who:

  1. successfully completed graduation requirements to earn a diploma before the  spring ADM count; and
  2. were not enrolled on the day in February fixed by the  SBOE for the spring ADM count.

This count shall be reported to the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) along with other information the IDOE may request that is necessary to verify the number reported.

Other Information ADM Counts

All staff members who participate in the ADM count are expected to be ethical in counting only those students who meet the definition of 'eligible student' in the ADM count. Any staff member participating in the ADM count who fails to comply with this policy, the related administrative guidelines, and the directives of the IDOE and Indiana State Board of Accounts ('SBOA') for taking an ADM count is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

If the Corporation offers a 'virtual education program,' more robust internal controls shall be developed to ensure the accuracy of ADM counts. The Board requires the Superintendent to include in the administrative guidelines controls that clarify under what conditions a student is considered to be 'enrolled' when participating in a virtual education program and how much activity or progress a student shall engage in to be considered in attendance.

Note: This policy was prepared to meet the SBOA's requirements for a 'student engagement policy' as outlined in the December 2019 School Bulletin, Volume 228, page 4. It has been further modified to meet the IDOE's August 27, 2020, Memorandum providing written guidance on verification of Indiana residency as it relates to reporting students for membership.

Cross References
po5111 - DETERMINATION OF LEGAL SETTLEMENT AND ELIGIBILITY FOR ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS WITHOUT LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN THE CORPORATION; PROOF OF INDIANA RESIDENCY
po5111.01 - HOMELESS STUDENTS
po5111.02 - EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR MILITARY CHILDREN
po5111.03 - CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE
po5114 - NONIMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

Revised 6/13/23

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