Local and regional boards of education must permit any child residing in the district who is between the ages of five and twenty-one (and not yet a high school graduate) to attend public school. Conn. Gen. Statute 10-186.

If a student is living with parents or guardians, the school district must ascertain whether the student and his/her parents or guardians are living in the district. The parents should be asked to give the address of their house or apartment, and to provide evidence, such as a driver's license for that address, utility bills made out to the family at that address or other information to establish that they are actually living at the house or apartment in question. District officials can ask for a valid copy of the lease or rental agreement.

State Statute requires that parents or guardians must present sufficient proof of residency to enter and/or remain in Waterford Public Schools. The child must actually be present in the district where he/she is to be educated. The statute also authorizes the school district to insist on a "preponderance of evidence" which proves residency in Waterford. Evidence of a bona fide residence in Waterford includes a combination of the following documents: valid driver's license, car/vehicle registration, Waterford tax documents, legal documents, utility bills, construction contract, lease or rental agreement, bank statements, paychecks, and mail received at that address. Parents and guardians will also be requested to complete a residency information form. Additional documents to prove continued residency in Waterford may be requested as the family becomes further established in the community.

The Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee may require documentation of family and/or student residency including notarized affidavits. A notarized affidavit may require statement or statements with documentation that there is a bona fide residence in Waterford, that the residence is intended to be permanent, that the residence is provided without pay, and that the residence is not for the sole purpose of obtaining school accommodations. Only children legally entitled to do so may attend Waterford Public Schools. A perjured or fraudulent statement may lead to prosecution under Criminal Statutes of the State of Connecticut, and that false statements made in order to receive educational benefits may constitute the crime of defrauding a public community, a felony under Connecticut Law. If any statements are proven false, parents or guardians will be held accountable to the Town of Waterford for daily tuition for each day the child is registered, and the child will be withdrawn from school immediately.