The Liberty Central School District has ongoing registration by appointment for new students throughout the school year and summer. To register a student, please contact Heather Austin at 845-292-5400, ext. 2331. You will also be asked to complete a Registration Packet.

If you are unable to access or print the Registration Packet, please call 845-292-5400, ext. 2331, and one will be mailed to you.

Enrollment/Registration Process

The following forms, which are included in the Registration Packet, must be completed and submitted to the Registration Office for each student you are seeking to enroll:

• Registration Form
• Housing Questionnaire
• Student Health Form
• Medicaid Consent Form
• Acceptable Use Policy for the Liberty Central School District Computer Network and Internet Form
• Student Emergency Evacuation Plan Form
• Home Language Questionnaire
• Photo/Medical Release/Field Trip Permission Form
• Notification on Disclosure of Information to Military Recruiter or Institution of Higher Learning
• Request for Records Form

Additional Documents

In addition to the above, please submit the following documents for each student. All documents will be copied and returned to you immediately.

Proof of Residency

To establish proof of residency, please submit:

• A residential lease or proof of ownership of a house or condominium (i.e. a deed or mortgage statement)
• A sworn or unsworn written statement from a third-party landlord, owner or tenant from whom you lease or share property within the district; or
• A written statement from a third-party establishing your residency in the district.

In the event you cannot provide any of these documents the district will consider any of the following:

• Pay stub
• Income tax form
• Utility or other bills
• Membership documents based upon residency, such as library cards
• Voter registration document
• Official Driver’s License, learner’s permit or non-driver identification card
• State or other government issued identification
• Documents issued by federal, state or local agencies, such as local social service agency or federal Office of Refugee Resettlement

Proof of student’s Age:

Please submit either:

• A certified transcript of a birth certificate
• A record of baptism confirming the date of birth for the child. A foreign birth certificate or record of baptism will also be accepted
• A copy of the child’s passport. A foreign passport will be accepted.

In the event you cannot provide a passport, the district will consider any of the following documents as long as it was issued two or more years ago:

• Official driver’s license
• State or other government issued identification
• School photo identification with date of birth
• Consulate identification card
• Hospital or health records
• Military dependent identification card
• Documents issued by federal, state or local agencies, such as local social service agency or federal Office of Refugee Resettlement
• Court orders or other court-issued documents
• Native American tribal document
• Records from non-profit international aid agencies and voluntary agencies

If any of these documents originate from a foreign country, the district may request verification from the appropriate foreign government or agency, consistent with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g. The enrollment of your child will not be delayed by the district’s verification of these documents.

Proof of Custody

In order to confirm your custody of your child, you may be required to submit:

• A written affidavit indicating that you are the parent with whom the child lawfully resides
• A written affidavit indicating that you are the person in a parental relation to the child, over whom you have total and permanent custody and control and describing how you obtained total and permanent custody and whether it is through a guardianship or otherwise
• Judicial custody orders or guardianship papers.

The district will also accept documentation which indicates that the child has been placed by a federal agency with a sponsor.

Health Records

Pursuant to Education Law §903, 8 NYCRR §136.3 and Public Health Law §2164(7), please submit the following documents:

• Health Physical Exam Records: The exam must have been performed within the 12 months prior to the child’s start date in our school district. If a physical has not been performed, you are allowed 30 days from the start of school to obtain one.
• Immunization records, which may consist of:

• A certificate of immunization from a healthcare practitioner or from New York State Immunization Information System or Citywide Immunization Registry confirming that the child has been fully immunized
• Documentation that the child is in process of receiving required immunizations
• A signed, completed medical exemption issued by the NYS Department of Health or a signed statement from a NYS licensed physician certifying that the immunization may be detrimental to the child’s health, containing sufficient information to identify a medical contraindication to a specific immunization and specifying the length of time the immunization is medically contraindicated. This medical exemption must be reissued annually and the district may request additional information.

Other records, if in your possession

• Transcripts of grade to date
• IEP (Individualized Education Plan) from the previous school district
• Section 504 documentation from previous school district; and/or
• The most recent report card issued for your child

Enrollment, Attendance and the Board of Education’s Review

Upon request, your child will be enrolled and able to attend school in the district the next school day, or as soon as practicable.

Within three business days of initial enrollment, the Board of Education or its designee will review all of the documentation and determine whether your child is entitled to attend school in the district.

If it is determined that your child does not reside in the district, the board, or its designee, within two business days, will issue a written notification confirming the basis for this determination and the date your child is to be excluded from the district. The written notification will also confirm your right to appeal the decision to the NYS Commissioner of Education within 30 days and advise that the instructions, forms, and procedures for an appeal, including translated instruction forms and procedures, can be found at the following:

• Online at the Office of Counsel, www.Counsel.nysed.gov;
• Mail addressed to the Office of Counsel, New York State Education Department, State Education Building, 89 Washington Av., Albany, New York  12234; or
• Calling the Appeals Coordinator at 518-474-8927.

Kindergarten Registration

To be eligible for Kindergarten at the opening of a school of any year, a child must be 5 years of age on or before Dec.  1. Registration takes place in the spring for the upcoming school year.

Special Education Programs

If you believe your child may have a physical, cognitive or emotional disability, you have the right to refer your child to the district’s Committee on Special Education for an evaluation and a determination as to whether your child is eligible to receive special education services and programs.

To refer your child to the Committee on Special Education or for more information, contact Deborah DeGraw, Director of Student Services, 845-292-5400, ext. 5113.

Students in Temporary Housing

Students may be able to receive services under the McKinney-Vento Act, the the primary piece of federal legislation addressing the education of public school students experiencing homelessness. Students protected under the McKinney-Vento Act are entitled to immediate enrollment in school, transportation, and other services.

To help determine eligibility, the district asks:

• Is your current address a temporary living arrangement?
• Is this temporary living arrangement due to loss of housing or economic hardship?

If you believe you qualify for services under the McKinney-Vento Act call Central Registration at 845-292-5400, ext. 2331.