Parents, Guardians Could Face Fraud Charges.
BY: EDUCATION DESK | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Not that anyone in South Palm Beach County would ever misrepresent where they actually live so that they could attend one middle school or high school instead of another, but on the off-chance that parents do such a thing, the Palm Beach County School District has a message: don’t.
The latest write-through of the school district’s eligibility rules for extracurricular activities — including sports — makes it clear: if parents or guardians lie, students will suffer.
“Any student who is found to have falsified eligibility information, including his or her address in order to attend a school, shall be deemed ineligible to participate and/or compete in any public school within the District for one calendar year from the date the falsification is discovered. The incident will be documented and the documentation may be shared with the FHSAA. The FHSAA may sanction involved students and/or employees more severely and in addition to any penalties levied by the District.”
The Palm Beach County School District has historically spot-checked addresses, sometimes with private investigators, against school registration information to determine whether students are legitimately enrolled in the correct school. While not a part of the updated eligibility policy, parents or guardians knowingly engaged in address misrepresentation can be charged with fraud.
The new policy is expected to be ratified at an upcoming Palm Beach County School District school board meeting. It is in in sync with requirements set by the Florida Department of Education.
