Manual: Enrollment

Students enrolling for the first time in a Jordan School District school are required to provide an original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate at the time of enrollment. The birth certificate is the record of the student’s legal name and age and, when combined with a parent/guardian’s photo ID, is the only way to prove that the parent/guardian has legal rights to the child.

In rare cases, when an original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate cannot be obtained, other reliable documents may be provided as proof of birth. Passports and visas may not be accepted as proof of birth as they do not prove the connection between parent and child. Other reliable proof includes (but not limited to): taxes, consular report of birth abroad, midwife certificate, religious blessing or baptismal records, affidavits from government officials, etc., all of which can provide proof of the student’s name and age. When a document other than the birth certificate is provided, an affidavit must be included explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate.

If a birth certificate is not available at the time of enrollment, a 30-day grace period is available to allow the custodial legal parent(s) or guardian(s) time to obtain the necessary documents. 

There is a process available when the parent asserts that the available birth certificate or other documentation does not accurately reflect the student’s age. Contact Planning & Enrollment for additional help in this situation. 

When students transfer between schools in Jordan School District, the receiving school should verify that the birth certificate was properly received and scanned into the digital cumulative folder by the previous school; if the documents were saved correctly, the parent does not need to provide a new copy.

If a birth certificate is not provided at enrollment, the school should:

• Inform the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) enrolling the student that an original or certified copy of the student’s birth certificate or other reliable proof must be provided within 30 days, and:
• Fill out and send the Birth Certificate Requirement 30-day grace period letter. Retain a copy at the school.
• Enroll the student. There is no need to send the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) registering a kindergarten student without a birth certificate to Planning and Enrollment.
• If the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) enrolling the student provides an original or certified copy of the birth certificate within 30 days, compliance has been achieved.

If the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) enrolling the student provides “other reliable proof”:

• An Affidavit of Birth should be filled out by the guardian explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate.
• The “other reliable proof” must provide reliable confirmation of the student’s identity (name, age, connection to the parent).
• The parent/guardian should only be referred to Planning and Enrollment if the “other reliable proof” is not one of the categories already listed on the Affidavit of Birth.

If the reliable proof is not provided or is not sufficient, the school shall proceed with the 10-Day Letter and all subsequent steps.

If the legal custodial parent or guardian enrolling the student fails to provide the required documents within the 30-day grace period, the school shall notify the person in writing that unless they comply within 10 days, the case shall be referred to the local law enforcement authority for investigation. The school shall keep the student enrolled, and:

• Complete the Birth Certificate 10-day letter and send it to the legal custodial parent or guardian who enrolled the student. Retain a copy at the school in the student’s cumulative folder.
• If compliance is not obtained within that 10-day period, the school shall refer the case to the local law enforcement authority for investigation. The school will keep the student enrolled.
• The school shall also immediately report any birth certificate that appears inaccurate or suspicious to the local law enforcement agency.

The full legal name as it appears (first, middle, and last) on the birth certificate shall be entered in its entirety in Skyward, including the full middle name. If a birth certificate does not designate which name is the first, middle or last, the rule is:

• First Name = First letter from the left until first space
• John Jacob Jingle-Heimer Smith, John is the first name
• Eva Maria Gonzales-Espinosa Del Pino San Marco, Eva is the first name
• Last name = First letter from the far right left to the first space
• John Jacob Jingle-Heimer Smith, Smith is the last name
• Eva Maria Gonzales-Espinosa Del Pino San Marco, San Marco is the last name
• When the last name is commonly two parts, include both parts, ie. Van Horten, San Mateo
• Middle name = Everything between the first name and last name
• John Jacob Jingle-Heimer Smith, Jacob Jingle-Heimer is the middle name
• Eva Maria Gonzales-Espinosa Del Pino San Marco, Maria Gonzales-Espinoza Del Pino is the middle name.

If the full name does not fit in Skyward, enter a "General Note" on the Profile tab in Skyward with the student's full name. Call or email Information Systems so that they can update the student's name on the SSID system based on the full name that was entered in the notes.

All permanent records, membership reports and transcripts must reflect the student’s full legal name. An alternate form of the name recorded on the birth certificate may be entered in the “Other Name” field of Skyward upon written request from a parent/guardian. The written request should be saved in the digital cumulative folder.

If a student’s name is added incorrectly, edit the profile screen and correct the name information. This will update all the necessary systems associated with that name. If a student record has been duplicated because of incorrectly added birth certificate information, contact Information Systems to merge the duplicate data. A student name change should not take place in Skyward without verification from an original or certified copy of the birth certificate, court documentation, or a Name Change Affidavit. If you have a student that has had a name change, enter a General Note on the Skyward Profile tab showing what the name was and what it changed to. You can also add any details in the Comment Field. Call or email Information Systems to update the name on the student’s SSID.

Utah Administrative Code R277-419-10(4) allows schools to use a name other than what appears on a birth certificate provided the parent/legal guardian avers that there is a compelling need to protect their child. When the parent/legal guardian requests such action, schools shall provide them with the “Name Change Affidavit and Certification” form. Once the form is completed and notarized it is returned to the school and the change is made in Skyward as though the student’s birth certificate had been changed. Upload the original to the student’s cumulative folder and provide a copy for the parent/legal guardian.

The new name identified on the form will be used as the official name designated on Jordan School District’s official transcripts and records. The “Name Change Affidavit and Certification” form does NOT constitute a legal name change.

After the name is changed in Skyward the school must contact Information Systems to update the student’s state SSID information.

Utah law (§53G-6-302) requires a parent or guardian to show proof of residency in the district and school boundary where the student is enrolling. Upon registration, a parent/guardian must provide two (2) proof of residency documents, one each from Columns A and B of the table below. All documents must show the name of a parent/guardian and a current address within the boundaries of the school where the parent/guardian is attempting to enroll the student.

Two documents from column A are sufficient for demonstrating residency; however, no more than 1 document from column B may be used. 

If there are concerns with the provided documentation, a third document may be requested at the direction of school administration; however, requiring three documents should NOT be standard practice. Updated documentation can and should be requested when a parent/guardian submits a change of address request or when school administrators believe the family’s residency status has changed.

If the parent/guardian declares during enrollment that the family is homeless and qualifies for services under McKinney-Vento, the declaration covers BOTH residency document requirements. No further documentation can or should be requested from the parent or guardian and the student should be enrolled immediately. After enrollment, if there are concerns about eligibility for McKinney-Vento services, the school may coordinate with the district McKinney-Vento liaison for further assistance. 

If a parent/guardian is unable to produce any proof of residency documentation, the school should contact Planning & Enrollment for further assistance.

Copies of the residency documents do not need to be scanned and uploaded to the student’s cumulative folder. If the parent uploads the documentation as part of the New Student Online Enrollment process, those documents may be left in the digital cumulative folder.

Schools should not make a practice of calling leasing or management offices to ask to verify enrollment. If there are concerns about the validity of documents provided, the parent/guardian can be asked to provide 1-2 additional documents (with a preference for documents in Column A). 

Schools may audit or review residency status by asking the parent/guardian to provide updated documentation as needed (such as in response to returned mail, a parent/guardian request to change address, reports from the student that the family no longer lives in boundary, or other reliable information). The District does not otherwise require guardians to resubmit residency documents during their enrollment at the same school.

Pre-enrolled students are “brand-new” students who enroll at the school and plan to attend the following school year. These students are not “promoted” or “pre- transferred” from another school. They are added to Skyward using the “Add” button or brought in to Skyward during the Online Enrollment process. Schools may begin to pre-enroll students after the next year's calendars have been created and posted in Skyward (usually sometime in January).

When a student is pre-enrolled, mark these fields as follows:

• Current Status – Inactive
• Next Year Status – Active
• Use the student's current year grade (i.e. P4 for kindergarten). Skyward automatically figures the grade level by the student’s birthdate.
• Enrollment Date - Use the first day of school enrollment; not the first day of student attendance.

Preschool Students to Kindergarten: Do not pre-enroll students who are currently active at school 800. The Skyward system will automatically pre-transfer the student to their boundary school or the preschool will promote the student to the appropriate school.

Pre-enrolled Kindergarten: The kindergarten enrollment process is done through New Student Online Enrollment or at the entity the kindergarten student will attend. If you wish to enroll a kindergarten student who already shows a pre-enrollment record at another school, contact the school that has the enrollment record to let them know the kindergarten student will attend your school in the fall, and then contact Information Systems to delete the original enrollment record, so the student may then enroll at your school. (Pre-enrolled records cannot be pre-transferred.)

Proof of Residency: Proof of residency is not required at the time of pre-enroll, but is required once the new school year begins. This is the law. A proof of residency is also required for all address changes.

900 School Students: Do not pre-enroll students who are currently active at 900 schools. Student Services will promote (pre-transfer) the student to your school. Call Student Services when necessary.

Best Practice: It would be wise to do a district search for the student at Entity 000 in Skyward or on the state UTREX system to see if the student has an existing student number. It is very important to use student numbers which have already been assigned to students.

Reminder: Pre-enrolled students cannot be “promoted” or “pre-transferred” to another school.

A “pre-transfer” is a Skyward utility which “transfers” a student enrollment record from one school to another for the upcoming school year. This new enrollment record allows the next year’s school to do future enrollment counts and future scheduling.  Each year the nightly pre-transfer utility becomes available in January. The “School Path” tab in the Skyward Student system is the screen the program uses to determine the pre-transfer.

The student criteria for a pre-transfer includes:

• Any student in any grade at any entity
• The student’s current status is “active”
• The student’s next year’s status is either “active” or “inactive”

The School Path screen criteria for a pre-transfer includes:

• The student must have either a “CY Path” or a “Next Year School”
• If there is a “Next Year School” the student will pre-transfer to that school
• If there is no “Next Year School” the student will remain in their default entity until their grade moves them to the next school level, using the CY Path

The school a student is currently attending (the default school) is responsible for enrollment, and therefore responsible for the School Path tab. Once a student is enrolled, check the School Path tab for accuracy.  The School Path tab should be changed only when a permit is produced, although there are some exceptions which are on a case-by-case basis:

• If a student plans to move during summer break to another school in the district, do not change the School Path tab or the student’s address until after the last day of school. If a student has an address outside your school boundary at any time during the school year, a permit is required.
• Planning & Enrollment keeps track of some Jordan District boundary students who attend schools outside our district at an entity in Skyward named 904 (Out of District). When enrolling a student, if you find that they are active in the 904 Entity, notify Planning & Enrollment to either pre-transfer or withdraw the student. This allows you to enroll the student at your entity with an accurate student number and SSID number.
• If a student plans to attend a 904 (Out of District) school next year, the default school may change the School Path screen to reflect that. Enter the school number (charter, other district, etc.) the student is promoting to in the “Next Year School” field and change it to “Manual Override”. Note that parents may tell you they are sending their student to a charter or private school, but unless they are truly accepted, don’t do the pre-transfer.
• If you are certain that a student is leaving Jordan School District at the end of the school year, enter “999” in the “Next Year School” field and click “Manual Override”. This will prevent the student’s record from being promoted back to your school.
• If a student plans to be home taught the following year, notify Planning & Enrollment.

A student may be released for one period each day (no form required) for religious instruction, without reduced funding to the school, if the release is accounted for in the IEP/SEP/SEOP. Seminary release time is included in the SEOP at registration.

A student who is only enrolled in two classes should not be given a schedule with two traditional classes and 5 or 6 "ed release" classes in order to remain 100% enrolled.

Elementary schools will most frequently use "Option 2 - Change to Hours" on the release form. You will enter the number of hours missed (as a decimal rounded to the nearest quarter-hour or 0.25) in the first box and the number of times per week the release will happen. The form will calculate the percentage enrollment that should be entered in Skyward. If a release will happen less frequently than weekly, contact Planning & Enrollment for guidance.

If the percentage enrolled calculates out to 95% or higher, the release is fairly small. The parent may wish to leave the student 100% enrolled and check the student out following established school procedures.

When a student enrolls in Jordan School District, they are placed in a grade according to their age, including students who enroll from another state or country. Exceptions include:

• A military child who does not meet the deadline but has previously attended kindergarten or a higher grade as a resident in another state. In these cases, the District will honor the placement from the previous state upon submission of documentation. “Military child” means a child enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve who is legally residing in the household of an active duty service member or whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty service member (§53G-6-402 and §53E-3-902).
• A student who was accelerated or retained in a previous school or district within the state of Utah. District schools will honor the acceleration or retention upon submission of documentation. Acceleration or retention requests for students enrolling in Jordan District for the first time may be considered only after the student has been enrolled according to their age and appropriate time has been given for observations (usually about six (6) weeks).
• A student who was home schooled: Students who were home schooled can be placed based on the parent’s request. Examples include:
  • The student attended a public school in 7th grade but was in home school for 8th grade. The parent/guardian requests placement in 8th grade. The school would place the student according to the request.
  • The student attended public school in 7th grade but was in home school for 8th grade. The parent/guardian states that the student completed both 8th and 9th grade during the past school year, and requests placement in 10th grade. The school would place the student according to the request. See the “Grade Placement of a Student Returning from Home School” form.
• The student has never been in an education setting. The student should be placed according to their age. Placing students in grades other than their age-appropriate placement to compensate for any educational (including language) advancement or deficit should be avoided. In such cases, acceleration/retention testing may be completed to address such concerns..
• The student is coming from an education setting outside of the U.S. The student should be placed according to their age. In most cases this is the most appropriate placement for the child. If the parent/guardian communicates disagreement with this or if the school sees obvious indicators that the student has been misplaced, acceleration/retention testing may be conducted for proper grade placement if the student is age-eligible to enroll in public school in Utah.
• Student enrolling in the first grade but didn’t meet the entry date for Kindergarten the previous year. A student may be enrolled in the first grade even though the child did not meet the entry date for kindergarten the previous year, provided:
  • A full year of kindergarten was successfully completed in another state or private school (not daycare or preschool), and
  • The parent/guardian provides convincing evidence that the child has the academic, social and emotional skills necessary to succeed in first grade, and
  • The parent/guardian provides a statement from the previous school which verifies the student’s successful completion of the kindergarten curriculum.

Jordan School District does NOT enroll:

• Any student who has previously received a diploma.
• Any student who is not five (5) years of age before September 2nd of the year they will be entering school (R277-419-2).

If the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) disagree with the student’s placement they may request acceleration or retention testing.

Grades 1 - 8:

• The student’s academic ability and social, emotional, and physical maturity should be considered. Pre-existing sources of data may be used if the evaluation team considers them relevant to the request. Wherever possible, assessments from the parent (including anecdotal observations) and classroom observations should be included.
• When the evaluation team determines that an intelligence test is appropriate, it is recommended that a Wechsler Intelligence Test, which is age-appropriate, be administered. However, the school guidance personnel may elect to administer an alternate intelligence test. Use of a screening instrument, such as the Slosson Intelligence Test, is not considered to be sufficient. To consider acceleration, the IQ should fall within the superior or very superior range of intelligence. A score of 125 is considered minimal.
• A norm-referenced achievement battery, criterion-referenced test, as well as informal assessment by the classroom teacher should be administered to determine the student’s readiness levels and skills. The student should be performing above the 96th percentile in most of the academic areas in order to be considered for acceleration.
• The student should be in the top 3% of his/her class (grade at school) academically and intellectually to be considered for acceleration.
• When acceleration involves moving to another level, there must be approval and involvement from the receiving school administrator, i.e., a sixth grade elementary student promoted to a seventh grade middle school.
• Children with learning disabilities or intellectual handicaps should not be considered for retention.

Grades 9-12:

Retention/acceleration in grades 9-12 may only be considered in extreme cases. If circumstances warrant retention consideration, guidelines listed under Grades K-8 should be followed. There is no provision for additional years of athletic eligibility after three consecutive years. If a student has not graduated after three years and still desires to graduate, the fourth year will be offered through adult education programs, not the regular high school.

Completed accelerations and/or retentions should be recorded in Skyward with a copy of the final form submitted to Planning & Enrollment.

Students who wish to attend a school other than their resident boundary school may submit an early and/or late enrollment permit application to transfer to a school they wish to attend (JSD Policy AS93 - Open Enrollment/School Choice and §53G-6-401-407). Decisions regarding the acceptance of permits are made at the local school. Permit applications are submitted electronically using the web link provided by the district. The link may be found on individual school web pages or on the Planning and Enrollment website. 

If a permit is offered and accepted, the parent/guardian is responsible for transportation to and from the new school. 

Permits determine residency and cannot be used to track programs (such as Dual Immersion or ALPS). Only students who attend a non-resident school (out of boundary) require a permit. 

Students enrolled using the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act shall not be placed on a permit regardless of the program or school.

Permit applications submitted November 15th through the first (1st) Friday of February for the following school year are determined using the “90% capacity” of the school rule. The school must notify the student’s parents of acceptance or rejection within six (6) weeks of receipt of the application, or by March 31st, whichever is later. Notifications may be delayed due to circumstances affecting the board’s ability to determine the enrollment capacity of a school.

Schools are not required to accept permit applications submitted after the first (1st) Friday of February for the following school year (or any permit application for the current school year). If permits are to be offered, the school must use the “adjusted capacity” of the school in determining if seats are available. The adjusted capacity is the total number of students who could be served in a school if each teacher were to have a class size based on the staffing ratio for each grade level (§53G-6-401). Late enrollment permit acceptance is determined by the staffing ratio as follows:

• Elementary schools use the student to teacher ratio for each grade level to determine if there is space available.
• Secondary schools use the student to teacher ratio for each core class within each grade level to determine if space is available.

The school shall notify the student’s parents of acceptance or rejection within two (2) weeks of receipt of the application, or by the Friday before the new school year begins, whichever is later. If the application is for the current school year, the school shall notify the parent(s) within two (2) weeks of receipt of the application. Notifications may be delayed due to circumstances affecting the board’s ability to determine the enrollment capacity of a school.

A “Revoke Permit Custom Form" in Skyward shall be used for any student whose current year permit is revoked. The school is responsible to see that the School Path screen is updated (the permit code removed and the record changed back to “Computer Generated”). Instructions for the "Revoke Permit Custom Form" may be found on the School Resources web page.

Prior to the Skyward student permit upload, it is permissible to use PowerSchool to revoke a permit, with either the “Remove from Waitlist/Seated List” in the School Choice Workspace or the “Discard Record” link in the Submission Workspace.

It is not necessary to revoke 6th grade or 9th grade permits. Permits are automatically revoked when a student moves to the next level of school.

A student with prior behavioral problems may be granted provisional enrollment provided the student and parent sign an agreement with the school or the school district:

• Establishing the conditions of continued enrollment; and
• Notifying the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student that the student will be excluded from the school if the agreement is violated.

The school or school district is responsible for the agreement as allowed under §53G-6-403(3)(b). A copy of a Provisional Enrollment Behavior Contract can be found on the School Resources web page

A permit cannot be provisional based on a period or window of time. Permits cannot be issued "until the end of the year", "until a home is built", or "until the family moves".

Applications for students on F-1 visas seeking an I-20 form issued by the Jordan School District (or a transfer from a private school to the Jordan School District) will be accepted from early spring through June of each year for the following school year. No new or transferred enrollments will be accepted after July 1. 

Information on the application process, including the cost of tuition, is available at https://planning.jordandistrict.org/foreign-student-registration/

Jordan School District accepts foreign exchange students (J-1 Visa) from the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) only. The Utah State Board of Education establishes quotas regarding the number of foreign students each secondary school may accept. CSIET organizations submit student applications to Planning and Enrollment.