State working with Dist. 211 on student's issue

The Illinois State Board of Education said Thursday it has "reached out" to Palatine-Schaumburg School District 211 regarding its residency and enrollment policies.

The move came hours after the Daily Herald shared the story of Cordeirdre Mitchell, a 14-year-old Hanover Park resident whose application to attend Schaumburg High School was denied.

District 211 has not commented on Cordeirdre's case specifically, but it says that in order to grant enrollment students must be living with a parent or a legal guardian.

Cordeirdre lives with her grandmother, Tanya Washington, who is not her legal guardian.

District 211 Superintendent Roger Thornton addressed board members at Thursday's meeting, saying he'd be working with the state board of education today on a resolution. He said he's heard Washington would apply for guardianship today.

"It's good to hear," he said. "If she does, then this is moot."

District 211 stood behind its decision again Thursday, even though its policy contradicts the state board's rules, which say that a child needs only to live with an adult who lives in the district and has accepted responsibility.

Thornton said he doesn't think the district's rules contradict the state board's. He pointed to a clause in the state code calling for an adult to assume "legal responsibility." He said the district had been using the guardianship process as a guideline to establish that responsibility.

Thornton also on Thursday introduced the notion of an affidavit signed by the parent and potential guardian as a solution.

State board spokesman Matt Vanover said Thursday the board is reviewing its residency and enrollment policies with District 211, to "offer guidance or clarify as necessary."

District 211 spokesman Tom Petersen said Thursday the district thought it was in compliance and wonders about the state board's interpretation of the statute.

And while the district doesn't intend on reviewing Cordeirdre's case, he said, it is reviewing its policies.

"If you think of all the confidential records, grades, injuries and special education services, those need to be signed off by a legal guardian or parent," he said. "How do we handle those situations? The state realizes the position we're in and sees our dilemma."

Thornton also disputed Washington's other claim, that the District 211 guidance counselor who interviewed Cordeirdre asked "inappropriate" questions.

Washington said the interviewer asked how many siblings Cordeirdre has and by how many fathers.

"We would never ask that question," Thornton said.

He says Washington volunteered the information, he thought as a way of assuring the district that none of Cordeirdre's siblings were her grandchildren -- and would not be coming to live with her, too.

The questions on the nonresident application, Thornton added, ask whether there are other siblings in the family and if so, where they reside. He said it's important that the district know why a student like Cordeirdre would come live with her grandmother.

"In this instance, the grandmother shared with us that there were more siblings involved that weren't her grandchildren, that they had a different father," Thornton said. "She offered that information that explained why only one of the (siblings) was moving in with her."

Washington acknowledged that Cordeirdre did volunteer that information, but thinks it was inappropriate for the interviewer to write "all have different fathers" in the margins of the application.

"Regardless of the conversation, to put that on paper showed what they were focused on," she said.

"I think they want to limit the amount of black children that go to their schools," she said.

Petersen said the district's procedure has been in place for years and that it has been consistent with its transfer student policy.

"It deeply saddens us that someone would think of District 211 in this way," Petersen said. "Diversity in our district is one of our strengths and we are very proud of it.

"This is about us doing the right thing and being fair to the taxpayers. If the state makes us change things, we will."

Patricia Nix-Hodes, an attorney representing families with residency issues with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, said no school district is allowed to insist on legal guardianship.

"On its face, they have no legal basis to deny her enrollment," Nix-Hodes said.

Hanover Park Trustee Toni Carter said she is outraged and promises to picket District 211 headquarters and Schaumburg High School if the decision isn't overturned.

Washington has an appointment today at the Civic Center to start custody proceedings, just in case the decision isn't overruled, she said.

The process can take three months, but District 211 has a provision that would allow Cordeirdre to enroll once proceedings start, with the understanding the process will be completed.

Cordeirdre, who lived with Washington until she was 5 years old, moved back in with Washington in June. She was living on public assistance in Milwaukee with her mother and three siblings.

Her application to the district says she "wants to live with grandmother for a better chance at life. Does not want to live with mom. Wants to live in a more supportive environment."

Washington said she hasn't heard from District 211 since the application was denied.

School starts on Wednesday.