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Students in Out of Home Placement Settings

Students in Legal Custody of the State 

The enrollment eligibility rights of students in the legal custody of the Department of Social Services are protected by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. Such students who are in the care of families or facilities in Kannapolis City Schools attendance zone OR who attended a KCS school prior to being placed in a home outside of the district are eligible to enroll or continue enrollment if doing so is determined to be in the student’s best interest by a multidisciplinary team. DSS social workers please complete this form to initiate the Best Interest Determination process with a KCS school social worker. It is best practice to also engage the student support staff of the student’s prior school or school serving their new placement location to ensure advocacy for the student.  

We strongly encourage all DSS social workers from outside of Kannapolis who want to enroll students to:

  1. Download this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
  2. Save a copy and overwrite your organization’s name where indicated (highlighted in yellow)
  3. Sign and complete the MOU
  4. Scan and return the completed MOU to Student.Services@KCS.k12.nc.us
  5. Provide additional documents listed in the MOU and proceed with the enrollment application/process listed here

 

Students in Therapeutic or Group Home Placements

Students being served in residential care (therapeutic foster programs, group homes, care facilities, etc.) are eligible to enroll in Kannapolis City Schools in alignment with North Carolina General Statutes 115C366 (a1), (a6), and (a3). In order to be eligible for enrollment parents and providers must submit affidavits as listed in section (a3).  

Providers are welcome to use this form; parents can use this form; parents and providers can create their own document as long as it is aligns with the standards specified in the statute.  

We strongly encourage all residential providers to complete this MOU (Note relevant section) and provide records and relevant social history.  

Parents and/or placement providers (with completed affidavits listed above) are encouraged to Provide additional documents listed in the MOU and proceed with the enrollment application/process listed here

 

Limitations It is important to be aware that there are some limitations that those in specialized placement should note:

  1. If a student is served through an Individualized Education Plan school staff cannot invite the residential providers to attend such meetings. Parents, legal guardians, and surrogates may do so, but is not the prerogative of KCS staff.
  2. If a transferring student is under a term of suspension from another school district or if the student has engaged in conduct that would have resulted in suspension from school had the same infraction occurred then KCS may deny admission in alignment with North Carolina General Statutes 115C-366(a3), 115C-107.1(a)(3), 115C-390.5-12 as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Act, 20 U.S.C. 1400.
  3. Kannapolis City Schools do not have an on-site day treatment, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient program; if a student is in need of such services we advise legal guardians to seek appropriate placement.