Montana School Enrollment Documents — What You Need Without Custody Papers

The Document List

Montana school districts follow a fairly standard intake process, but when a grandparent or relative is enrolling instead of a parent, there's one document that changes everything: the Caretaker Relative Educational Authorization Affidavit under MCA 20-5-503. Without it, most districts won't move forward. With it, the process runs like a normal enrollment.

Here's what you'll need to bring.

1. Notarized Educational Authorization Affidavit

This is your legal authority to enroll the child. The form must substantially follow MCA 20-5-503(9) and include its required bold-caps warning about false swearing penalties. You sign it before a Montana notary public — the parent does not sign.

Some districts keep blank copies on file. Others don't know the form exists. Either way, arrive with your own notarized copy ready to present.

2. Proof of Residency in the District

Your home address within district boundaries establishes the child's school residency under MCA 20-5-502. Districts typically accept:

• A recent utility bill (power, gas, water) showing your name and address
• A lease agreement or rental contract
• A property tax statement
• A mortgage statement

Bring at least two forms of proof. Some districts ask for two, and having them ready avoids a second trip.

3. Birth Certificate or Proof of Age

The child's birth certificate confirms their identity and age for grade placement. If the birth certificate isn't available — common when a child arrives suddenly from a chaotic home situation — a hospital birth record, passport, or certified religious record may work temporarily. The district can also contact the state vital records office.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, if the child's move to your home was caused by housing instability or economic hardship, the district must enroll immediately even without this document and help you obtain it afterward.

4. Immunization Records

Montana schools require written evidence of a pupil's immunization status, subject to statutory exemptions and conditional attendance. If the child's records are with a previous doctor or school, request them directly or ask the new district to pull them.

If records are missing entirely, schedule an appointment with the child's new pediatrician or the county health department. You can consent to immunizations using the Medical Authorization Affidavit (MCA 40-6-502) without needing the parent. A school may allow conditional attendance after the child has received one or more doses of each required vaccine while the remaining doses are completed.

5. Academic Transcripts and Prior School Records

If the child was enrolled at another school, the receiving district will request cumulative records, transcripts, and any special education files. Under MCA 20-1-213, the previous school must forward these within five working days of a written or electronic request.

The previous school may not refuse to transfer files because of unpaid fines or fees. MCA 20-1-213 sets the transfer deadline; it does not make prior records a reason to deny enrollment.

What About Special Education Records?

If the child transfers to another Montana public district and enrolls in a new school during the same school year with an existing IEP, the receiving district must provide comparable services while it consults with the parent and decides whether to adopt the IEP or develop a new one. For a Section 504 plan, the district reviews the plan and supporting records; if it determines the plan provides FAPE, it must implement it, and if not, it evaluates and determines an appropriate program. Under IDEA, a relative with whom the child lives can qualify as a "parent" if the relative is acting in place of the biological or adoptive parent or is legally responsible for the child's welfare. This can allow the relative to participate in IEP decisions and consent to evaluations without a court-appointed guardianship.

No Tuition Charges

Under MCA 20-5-502, a caretaker relative who lives within the school district's boundaries cannot be charged tuition for enrolling a relative child. Your residency is the child's residency for educational purposes.

The Montana School and Medical Consent guide includes a complete enrollment preparation checklist and walks through what to do if a district asks for documents you don't have.

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