KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A residency verification conducted by Katy Independent School District officials in late June has sparked widespread discussion after a family's attorney alleged district employees exceeded the scope of a routine residency verification.
According to the family's attorney, Katy High School Principal Dr. Rick Hull and a Katy ISD police officer went to the student's home as part of a residency verification. The attorney alleges Hull and the police officer entered the home while the student's legal guardian was not present and asked the student to show them his bedroom before leaving the residence.
A Ring doorbell camera video obtained by KHOU 11 captured part of the encounter at the family's front door and shows the man identifying himself as Dr. Rick Hull. Katy ISD has not publicly disputed the authenticity of the video.
Neither Katy ISD nor the family's attorney disputes that the visit was conducted as part of a residency verification. The disagreement centers on what occurred during that visit and whether district employees acted appropriately.
While much of the public debate has focused on how the residency verification was conducted, the controversy has also highlighted a broader question: Why do school districts verify where students live?
The answer goes beyond simply confirming an address. It involves ensuring students are enrolled in the district where they are legally eligible to attend so school systems can accurately allocate public resources and comply with state law.
As a legal analysis published by Thomson Reuters explains:
"School districts must confirm that students live within their boundaries to help ensure appropriate enrollment, allocate resources accurately, and remain compliant with state and local requirements."
Why School Districts Verify Student Residency
According to the Texas Association of School Boards, Texas law allows school districts to establish proof-of-residency requirements and make reasonable inquiries to verify a student's eligibility for admission.
Like public school districts across Texas, Katy ISD is funded through a combination of local property taxes and state education funding. Residency verification helps ensure taxpayer-funded educational resources are devoted to students who are legally entitled to attend district schools.
Katy ISD requires families to provide proof of residency before a student can enroll. According to the district's published registration requirements, parents or guardians must provide proof of residency dated within the previous 30 days. Acceptable documents include a current utility bill, lease agreement, home purchase contract, mortgage documents or other approved records showing the parent or guardian's name and residential address.
Families enrolling through Katy ISD's Affidavit of Bona Fide Residence also acknowledge that the district may conduct residency verification as part of the enrollment process.
Texas Education Code also provides financial consequences for knowingly providing false information to obtain enrollment. Under the law, a person who knowingly falsifies records or information to enroll a student may be liable for tuition or the district's per-student maintenance and operating costs, whichever amount is greater, in addition to other penalties authorized by law.
Katy ISD Responds
Covering Katy asked Katy ISD about its review of the residency verification, the procedures governing such visits, whether any changes are being considered and how often the district has identified students attending Katy ISD schools while residing outside district boundaries.
Rather than responding to those specific questions, the district provided the following written statement.
"The District is committed to maintaining accurate student enrollment records while treating every student and family with dignity and respect. In accordance with the Texas Education Code, the District verifies that students reside within Katy ISD boundaries, and families who enroll through the District's Affidavit of Bona Fide Residence acknowledge that residency verification is part of the enrollment process.
The recent media reports involve a single residency verification visit. District representatives have spoken directly with the parent to listen to and review the concerns that were raised. While the District confirmed the verification was conducted in accordance with established procedures, the review also identified an opportunity to further strengthen those procedures."
The district's statement indicates officials concluded the residency verification was conducted in accordance with established procedures and identified an opportunity to strengthen those procedures. However, the statement did not explain what procedural improvements are being considered, address Covering Katy's questions about the broader purpose of residency verification or provide the requested information about how many students have been found in recent years to be attending Katy ISD schools while residing outside district boundaries.