Student Registration

The entire process is pre-registration. Until a student has met residency and health requirements, s/he will be considered to be in the process of registration.

In order to attend school in the District, a student must actually reside in the Town of Barnstable. A student’s primary residence is the place where s/he dwells permanently, not temporarily, and is the place that is the center of his or her domestic, social, and civic life. The primary residence of a minor child is presumed to be the legal residence of the parent(s) or guardian(s) who have physical custody of the child.

Families registering or submitting a change of address must demonstrate Barnstable residency by submitting documents from an authorized list of acceptable proofs. A photo ID is also required. In order to verify residency, the District reserves the right to request additional documents and/or to conduct an investigation if needed. Because residency can change for students and their families during the school year, the District may verify residency at any time.

A photo ID is required for all registration, change of address, or transfer applications as proof that the person making the application matches documentation for parent/guardian status and is also the person whose name is associated with the residency proofs.

Acceptable photo IDs include:

• A Driver’s License
• Massachusetts ID card
• Valid government-issued photo identification

All applicants who do not have the required documents will be asked to submit them to the Family and Community Engagement Center as soon as possible to finish the registration process.

We take other proofs of residency such as voter registration, paystubs, W-2, insurance, DTA and RMV correspondence. You may also download a Landlord Affidavit, complete and notarize it, and bring one bill from the landlord and one from a parent/guardian. See our page about residency documents for more information.

Family and Community Engagement Center
Hyannis Youth and Community Center
141 Bassett Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601
508-790-6345 x118

You should not register your child for the Enoch Cobb Early Learning Center unless your child participated in a peer screening and you have been notified of acceptance, or your child has been found eligible for pre-school special education services. Please visit the Enoch Cobb Early Learning Center webpage for further information.

To fulfill the requirements, you may also submit a work order or “statement of service” letter from any utility company stating that your service has been ordered or installed at the Barnstable address.

Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older may establish a residence separate and apart from his or her parents or guardians for school attendance purposes. However, you will still be required to submit the proofs of residency bearing your name and address.

Student Contact and Medical Verification are conducted annually by the District. Parents/guardians will make any changes to student information on-line through the Annual Update portal, not the registration portal. You will receive a notice from the school each year requesting such changes, and log-in information.

Please review the list of acceptable proofs of residency. In this case, you will be required to bring a copy of the current lease and record of rental payment made within the past 45 days, or Notarized Barnstable Public Schools Landlord Affidavit and proof of rental payment made within the past 45 days; plus a document from the approved list.

Families covered under the McKinney-Vento Act should contact the FCEC at 508-790-6345 x117. If you are staying in a shelter, please bring documentation on agency letterhead indicating that you are living there. Children who are covered under the McKinney-Vento Act are immediately enrolled even if unable to produce records normally required for enrollment, such as academic, immunization, and residency documents.

When a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to remain in their school of origin, the child is immediately enrolled in the new school, even if unable to produce records normally required for enrollment, such as academic, immunization, and residency documents.

Yes, residency fraud is a violation of Massachusetts state law and is subject to per diem fines for every day that a student attends school outside the district s/he legally resides.

All documents submitted to prove residency will be considered part of the student’s confidential record. The District will adhere to the standards of confidentiality set forth in state and federal laws in maintenance of these records.

This list will identify the elementary school you should register your child for based on your street address.

Any family that meets the District’s residency requirements may be asked to provide notarized translations of any documents at the time of their pre-registration meeting. These documents include birth certificates, custody documents, immunization records, and school records/transcripts.

Barnstable Community Innovation School enrollment information.

1. Kindergarten: Kindergarten Registration
2. BPS students looking to transfer to BCIS: Transfer Request
3. Non-Resident students: School Choice

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education requires each child to attend school beginning in September of the calendar year in which he/she attains the age of six (6) but allows each school committee to establish its own minimum permissible age for school attendance, provided that such age is not older than the state mandatory minimum age. It is the policy of the District to:

Admit a child into kindergarten if he/she is five (5) years of age on or before September 1 of the school year in which s/he enrolls.

Admit a child into first grade if he/she is six (6) years of age on or before September 1 of the school year in which he/she enrolls.

Students who attend a kindergarten program in a public school system outside of Barnstable or who attend a kindergarten program approved by the Superintendent may be allowed to enter first grade if Barnstable school officials determine that it would be educationally appropriate.

You must complete the pre-registration process. You will have to present all of the required documentation for registration.

If you change addresses, please use the Express portal to enter your new Barnstable address. You will need to bring new proofs of residency and a photo ID to the school to finalize this change. If your new address is in a different school zone, you may need to attend your new neighborhood school.

Grade placement is determined via the following. Students registering for:

• Grades 1- 9 are required to bring copies of their most recent report card or transcripts
• Grade 10 are required to bring copies of their 8th and 9th grade report card or transcripts
• Grade 11 are required to bring copies of their 9th and 10th grade report card or transcripts
• Grade 12 are required to bring copies of their 9th, 10th, and 11th grade report card or transcript

Pre-registration appointments occur at the Family and Community Engagement Center at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center, 141 Bassett Ln, Hyannis, MA 02601. We are the first door on your right after you enter the building.