Registration

 

Parents will receive ActiveCodes via email beginning May 1, 2025.  Parents should complete the online registration, upon receipt of their child's ActiveCode. Beginning this school year, the Jackson County School District online student registration will be offered to all parents of returning student(s) 100% online. This means that parents may complete the SAMs online registration, in its entirety, and their students will have a complete 2025-2026 student registration.

 

  *In-person student online registration will be held, July 15, 2025, for parents of NEW students and those parents of Returning students needing assistance with the SAMs Online registration.

In-Person Registration (*ONE DAY ONLY)	July 15, 2025 (7:00 am until 7:00 p.m.)
Vancleave Attendance Center-*All Schools	Vancleave High School Gym
St. Martin Attendance Center-*All Schools	St. Martin High School Gym
East Central Attendance Center-*All Schools	East Central High School Gym

 

Compulsory School Age Attendance: 

If a compulsory-school-aged child has not been enrolled in the school which the child is eligible to attend within fifteen (15) calendar days after the first day of the school year, the school district shall report within two (2) school days or within five (5) calendar days, whichever is less, such absences to the school attendance officer.

Compulsory School Age Child: 

A child who has attained or will attain the age of six (6) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year and who has not attained the age of seventeen (17) years on or before the September 1 calendar year.

Age of Entrance: To enter kindergarten, the student must be five (5) on or before September 1st. To enter first grade, the student must be (six) 6 on or before September 1st.

Students will not be enrolled until the following requirements have been met:

1. Students will be enrolled in the Jackson County School District only if they are residing with their legal guardian and said guardian resides within the Jackson County School District. “The district will not recognize or accept guardianship papers for health and school purposes only. Partial guardianship of a student by a resident within the district will not be recognized as meeting full legal guardianship.” (Policy JBC)
2. Birth Certificate: According to State Law, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate is required upon registration. This certificate must be examined and recorded on school records before any student may be officially enrolled in school. Each student must have this information on file prior to the first day of school.
3. A student shall present a withdrawal form from the school from which he/she is transferring (to include discipline record, grades, and attendance).
4. Proof of Immunization: A certificate of compliance shall be presented to the school when a child initially enters the school upon registration. This certificate shall be issued by the local health officer or physician on forms specified by the Mississippi State Board of Health. Effective August 1, 2007, children entering school for the first time will be required to have two doses of the Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox) or a history of chicken pox. All students entering, advancing, or transferring into 7th grade will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough (pertussis) booster, aka Tdap vaccine, before entry into school in the fall. Tdap vaccine given on or after the 7th birthday meets the new school requirement. a. If a child offers to enroll at a school without having completed the required vaccinations: (1) The local health officer (not school official) may grant a period of time up to 90 days for such completion. No child shall be enrolled without having at least one dose of each specified vaccine. (2) Any child not in compliance at the end of 90 days from the opening of school must be suspended until he/she is in compliance unless the health officer attributes the delay to the lack of supply of the vaccine. b. Exception: Reason must be verified by a duly-licensed physician to the local health officer. The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that religious exemptions are not acceptable.
5. A student’s records from his/her school of last attendance must be received within a reasonable period of time. If the records are not received within a reasonable time, the student will be asked to withdraw until the records are received.
6. A student who has been suspended or expelled from another school district may not be allowed to enroll.
7. Students not meeting the residency requirements will be withdrawn from school immediately.
8. Parents shall inform the school immediately of any change of address/telephone number of persons authorized to sign-out students that is different from that listed during registration.
9. At the beginning of school, each parent/guardian will fill out and sign the student emergency/service card. In order to register your child, you will need the following: (excerpt from Policy JBC)

*NEW* Proof of Residence Requirement

The parent or legal guardian of students attending schools of the Jackson County School District will be required to show proof of residence as required by the Mississippi State Board of Education in the following manner: 

Procedure I 

Definition of residence for school attendance purposes: 
The student physically resides full time, weekdays/nights and weekends, with the parent or guardian, at a place of abode located within the limits of the school district. 

1. All schools will require students who are seeking to enroll in the school district to register at the school they are assigned to attend. If registering at the beginning of the school year, parents may submit residency documentation during the days and times designated for Residency Verification. Appointments will be made for parents who need to verify residency at any other time. The school district shall verify the residency of each student.
2. Any new student enrolling or entering the school district or any continuing students whose residence has changed will be required to verify their residence address as herein provided as a part of the registration process. New enrollees to the district will register by appointment as set by the school.
3. The parents or guardians of continuing students whose residency has not changed shall provide proof of residency in person at a time designated by the District. All students, continuing and new to the district must register using the District’s Online Registration Process. 

Procedure II

Each new student or student whose residence has changed must establish his or her residency in the following manner: 

STUDENTS LIVING with PARENTS or GUARDIAN

The parent or legal guardian of a student seeking to enroll must provide the school district with a least two of the items listed below as verification of their address. The parent or legal guardian may satisfy residency requirements by submitting two (2) documents from Category I or one (1) document from Category I and one (1) document from Category II. This requirement may NOT be met with only two (2) documents from Category II. No documents with a post office box as an address will be accepted. 
 

Category I
 

At least one (1) from the following list displaying proper name and address: 

1. Filed Homestead Exemption Application Form
2. Mortgage Statement or property deed; No property tax documents
3. Signed current apartment or home lease (all pages)
4. Current Utility bills; (Per MDE, NO cut-off or disconnect notices); No car/home insurance statements; no cell phone bills; no hunting licenses; Bill must be current, within 30 days of date of registration

Category II 
 

One (1) document from the following list displaying proper name and address:

1. Driver’s license or Mississippi State-Issued Identification Card; (Must show current address)
2. Automobile registration; (Must be current year’s registration, not expired)
3. Voter registration card
4. Government mailing (Federal, state, or county) within the last 30 days
5. Any other document that will objectively and unequivocally establish the Parent or Guardian resides within the school district-must be approved by an administrator.

At a minimum, the district shall maintain in a file a written instrument identifying the types of documents used to verify each student's residency and copies of any relevant guardianship petition or decree. 

When satisfactory evidence is presented that a family with school age children plans to move into the school district, the school administrator, which the student(s) will attend may waive the residency requirement for a period of time, not exceed 30 days, during which time the family will provide transportation for the student(s). In all cases the Superintendent of Education shall be notified in writing from school administrator of the circumstances surrounding the enrollment of such student(s) within one week of admission. If, at the conclusion of the 30-day waiver, the family is unable to provide sufficient and verifiable proof of residency, the school age children will be withdrawn until sufficient and verifiable proof of residency is presented and approved by the Assistant Superintendent.

Court papers: 

If one is the legal guardian of the student, he/she must also provide a copy of the court order signed by a judge appointing him/her as guardian. Any changes in custody must be given to the school in the form of a legal document signed by a judge. If a parent/guardian fails to provide the necessary documentation, his/her children will not be allowed to attend schools in the Jackson County School District. No temporary enrollment will be processed.

NOTE: 

Any legal guardianship formed for the purpose of establishing residency for school district purposes shall not be recognized by the Board. (Legal reference: Mississippi Code Ann. Section 37-15-31, 1989 Supplement.) If a parent or guardian fails to provide the necessary documentation, his/her children will not be allowed to attend schools in the School District. No temporary enrollment will be processed. If the Jackson County School District receives a complaint regarding the residence of a student, the district is required to take action to further verify residence, including but not limited to follow-up visits to the resident's address by school officials. See JCSD School Board Policies JAB and JBC.