This policy has been adopted pursuant to 20-A MRS §5201(4) to clarify the circumstances under which this school administrative unit will pay tuition in accordance with 20-A MRS §§5203(4) and 5204(4).
A student will be eligible for tuition under the Maine law only if, for the school year involved, the student's parent or guardian with legal custody is a "resident" of the Town of Carrabassett Valley (hereinafter "the Town") meaning that the student's parent or guardian with legal custody actually lives in the Town during the school year, and the student actually lives with that parent or guardian in the Town throughout that school year (except for any time the student is boarding at an approved private school).
To be eligible for tuition payments, an Affidavit of Residency will be required for each student. The Carrabassett Valley School Committee (hereinafter the "Committee") reserves the right to independently verify the residency of any student. The parent or guardian with legal custody has the burden of proving residency. If the parent or guardian fails to produce evidence of residency requested by the Committee, the Committee may decline to pay tuition on behalf of the student(s).
RESIDENCY DEFINED
"Residency" is defined as actual residence in a home in the Town where a person ordinarily and primarily sleeps, has meals, and conducts leisure activities throughout the school year. Ownership or rental of property alone does not establish residency. Evidence of residency, may include address on driver's license, registration of vehicles, voter registration, where a homestead exemption is claimed, mailing address, legal residence as stated on State and Federal tax returns, and days per week and weeks per year that parent(s) or guardian is domiciled in the Town, but these individual factors will not control if the weight of evidence does not establish residency as defined above.
TUITION AND DELIVERY OF EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES
Grades K-8
Students in grades K-8 may attend an elementary school of their choosing within MSAD #58 in accordance with the contractual agreement between MSAD #58 and the Carrabassett Valley School Committee. Transportation is provided to Kingfield Elementary School and is at this writing provided to Stratton Elementary School. Transportation to the latter is subject to demand and budget constraints.
Students who are in 8th grade may choose to attend Carrabassett Valley Academy (hereinafter "the Academy") if they attended an MSAD #58 school for their entire seventh grade year and if they meet the Academy's admission requirements. If an eighth grade student attends the Academy's "winter session", he or she must attend an MSAD #58 for the portion of their eighth grade year that he or she is not at the Academy. For students attending the Academy, the Committee will pay tuition as specified in the contractual agreement between Carrabassett Valley Academy and the Carrabassett Valley School Committee. In the event that there is no contract between the Academy and the Committee, the Committee shall pay the State Mandated Tuition Rate plus the Insured Value Factor and any tuition required beyond this amount is the responsibility of the parent(s) or guardian of the student.
Grades 9-12
Students in grades 9-12 may choose which high school they will attend provided that they meet any applicable prior attendance requirements as described below, effective with the 2010-2011 school year. The prior attendance requirements shall not apply to any student attending an approved school in the 2009-2010 school year.
Students may attend Mt. Abram Regional High School in accordance with the secondary school contractual agreement between MSAD #58 and the Carrabassett Valley School Committee.
A student may choose to attend another public high school if admitted and provided that the student was enrolled in and attended an MSAD #58 school for the entire preceding school year before matriculation (hereinafter "prior attendance requirement"). The Committee shall pay the State-Mandated Tuition Rate for students attending another public high school.
A student may choose to attend Carrabassett Valley Academy in accordance with the following conditions:
A ninth grade student who was enrolled in and attended the Academy for all or part of their eighth grade year (but was enrolled in and attended an MSAD #58 school during any part of eighth grade when he/she was not enrolled at the Academy) and also attended an MSAD #58 school for their entire seventh grade year shall be deemed to have satisfied the prior attendance requirement.
To the extent permitted by law and without affecting the enforceability of the prior attendance requirement for other Carrabassett Valley students, the Committee may waive the prior attendance requirement for a student whose parent is currently employed full-time by the Academy. If within five months of the student's enrollment in the Academy, the parent or legal guardian resigns or otherwise leaves his/her continuous, full-time employment at the Academy, the waiver of the prior attendance requirement shall be revoked and tuition shall not be paid to the Academy until that student satisfies the prior attendance requirement.
The Committee shall pay tuition as specified in the contractual agreement between Carrabassett Valley Academy and the Carrabassett Valley School Committee. In the event that there is no contract between the Academy and the Committee, the Committee shall pay the State Mandated Tuition Rate and the Insured Value Factor and any tuition required beyond this amount is the responsibility of the parent(s) or legal guardian of the student.
A student may choose to attend a state-approved private school other than the Academy if admitted and provided that the student was enrolled in and attended an MSAD #58 school for the entire school year preceding matriculation. A student must fulfill the prior attendance requirement once and does not need to fulfill it again if he or she changes schools, so long as his or her residency in Carrabassett Valley remains continuous. The Committee shall pay the State-Mandated Tuition Rate and the Insured Value Factor and any tuition required beyond this amount is the responsibility of the parent(s) or legal guardian of the student.
PROOF OF RESIDENCY AND ENROLLMENT
New Students
New residents with school age children and residents with children who are using Town-funded educational services for the first time must register their children at the Town Office and receive Superintendent approval prior to enrolling their child in school. At the time of registration at the Town Office, the parent(s) or legal guardian must:
In the case of a student in grades 9-12, satisfy any applicable prior attendance requirement if applying to attend a public school other than Mt. Abram High School or any state-approved private school, including the Academy.
The Carrabassett Valley Superintendent will review the Affidavit of Residency and the parent's school choice, and will notify the parent(s) or guardian in writing within 2 weeks of the received date on the Student Registration Form of his/her decision as to whether the Committee will accept responsibility to pay associated tuition and approval of the schools to be attended. Parent(s) or guardians must not assume the Committee will pay their child(ren)'s tuition until they have received written notification from the Superintendent. In situations where school is already in session, temporary approval will be given within three business days, if possible, and then a final decision will be made by the Superintendent within the stated 2 weeks.
Students Already Enrolled in School
Parents are required to complete an Affidavit of Residency each school year that they have a child enrolled in school even if a child is not changing schools.
Whenever a student seeks to attend a different school from the previous year, or to change schools during a school year, a new Carrabassett Valley Student Registration Form must be filled out at the Town Office, the student must satisfy any applicable prior attendance requirement, and Superintendent approval must be granted before the Committee will assume financial responsibility for the student's tuition.
download a copy of Carrabassett Valley Contracts
All Students
The Carrabassett Valley School Committee reserves the right to independently verify the residency of any student at any time as well as the employment of a parent at Carrabassett Valley Academy, if applicable.
