Inglewood Board OKs Reprieve for Students Who Can’t Prove Residency Status

The Inglewood Board of Education voted 3 to 2 this week to allow students who cannot prove that they live in the district to remain in classes until the school year ends in June, but agreed to continue its efforts to identify the estimated 700 students who are using false addresses to attend Inglewood schools.

The board decided against sending non-residents back to their own districts immediately, as originally planned, but will not permit them to enroll when school starts again in September.

Each of the district’s 15,620 students has been asked to submit new address forms along with a utility bill or other proof of district residency by Friday.

The board’s decision to allow non-residents to stay in district schools was criticized Monday night by board members Caroline Coleman and William (Tony) Draper, as well as several parents who said students from other districts are creating overcrowded classrooms. The overcrowding is most evident in the district’s 14 elementary schools, in which half of the classrooms exceed the state standard of 30 students per class.

The state Board of Education last year fined the district $150,000 for overcrowding, but state officials agreed to waive the penalty.