South Dakota School Enrollment Documents and Immunization Records for Kinship Caregivers

You have a child living with you who needs to start school, and you don't have their birth certificate, shot records, or transcripts. Maybe the parent left in a hurry. Maybe the records are in another state. The school's online registration portal is asking for documents you can't produce right now. Here is how to handle each one in South Dakota.

The Standard Document List

South Dakota school districts typically require these for enrollment:

• Proof of residency — utility bill, lease agreement, or mortgage statement showing your address in the district
• Government-issued ID for the enrolling adult
• Child's birth certificate — a certified copy from the state of birth
• Immunization records — certified proof of required vaccinations
• Previous school records — transcripts, report cards, IEP documents if applicable

Most districts run enrollment through an online portal like Infinite Campus, which asks for these documents before generating a student record. The portal makes it look like everything is required upfront, but that is not the full picture.

When You Don't Have the Birth Certificate

If the child was born in South Dakota, you can order a certified copy from the South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. It costs $15 and takes about two weeks by mail. If the child was born in another state, contact that state's vital records office.

Under SDCL 13-27-3.1, a certified copy of the child's birth certificate is due at enrollment or within 30 days of initial enrollment; if the original is unattainable, the Department of Health can issue an affidavit in lieu of the certificate. A child who qualifies for McKinney-Vento homeless education protections must be enrolled immediately even without a birth certificate or other normally required records. Kinship placement alone does not establish McKinney-Vento eligibility; the child must lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. If this may apply, ask to speak with the district's McKinney-Vento liaison.

Immunization Records and What Happens When You Can't Find Them

Under SDCL 13-28-7.1, children admitted to South Dakota public schools must present a licensed physician's certification of immunization received or in process. Required school-entry immunizations include poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus, meningitis, and varicella, with some doses required at specific ages or grades. Hepatitis B is recommended but is not required for school entry.

If you don't have the child's immunization records, you have several options:

• Contact the child's previous pediatrician — They keep vaccination records and can send copies directly to you or the school.
• Check the South Dakota Immunization Information System (SDIIS) — If the child received shots in South Dakota, the records are likely in the state registry. The child's new doctor can pull them.
• Get a titer test — A blood test that shows immunity. If the child had the vaccinations but you can't prove it on paper, titers can satisfy the requirement.
• If records cannot be located — After reasonable efforts to find them, the child's provider can treat the vaccination history as unknown and start the age-appropriate schedule. A delayed series generally does not need to be restarted from the first dose. For school admission, a licensed physician may certify that the child is in the process of receiving adequate immunization.

South Dakota allows two exemptions from immunization requirements: a medical exemption signed by a physician, and a religious exemption. There is no philosophical exemption.

As a kinship caregiver without legal custody, getting the child vaccinated requires either a signed consent from the biological parent or a provider willing to accept your authority under a delegation letter. Under SDCL 20-9-4.2, a licensed physician may treat a minor without a parent's or guardian's consent only if no parent or guardian is immediately available and, in the physician's medical judgment, trying to obtain consent would delay treatment and threaten the child's life or health. A temporary guardian has only the powers specified in the court's order; medical authority is not automatic.

Transferring School Records from Another District

When a child moves from one school to another, FERPA allows the sending school to disclose education records without parental consent to a school where the child seeks or intends to enroll; FERPA does not itself require every receiving school to request records. For a student eligible under McKinney-Vento, the enrolling school must immediately contact the last school attended to obtain relevant records.

If the child qualifies for McKinney-Vento protections, the new school must enroll the student immediately even if records are delayed. Delayed records cannot be used to keep an eligible homeless student out of school.

For a child with an IEP who transfers to a new public agency in the same state during the school year, the new agency must provide comparable services until it adopts and implements the previous IEP or develops and implements a new one (34 CFR § 300.323(e)). For children with Section 504 plans, the new school must provide comparable services while waiting for the full IEP file to transfer. If the child qualifies under McKinney-Vento, missing records cannot delay enrollment.

Registering Without a Parent's Signature

Most online registration portals default to asking for a parent or guardian signature. A school board residency request under SDCL 13-28-10 addresses where the child is a school resident when living with someone other than a parent; it does not itself establish the caregiver's authority to make all education decisions.

You submit a written request to the school board. Under SDCL 13-28-10, the child's school residence is normally where the parents, noncustodial parents, or guardian reside unless, on the caregiver's request, the board accepts the child as a district resident. If the board accepts the child as a resident, contact the district to complete registration and confirm whether it requires separate documentation authorizing you to make education decisions. Rapid City Area Schools, for example, requires a separate student assignment with documentation for a noncustodial caregiver to make enrollment and other education decisions.

If the portal won't accept your information because it insists on a "parent/guardian" designation, call the enrollment office and ask what caregiver authorization it requires. Mention SDCL 13-28-10 if the issue is the child's school residence.

Keeping Your Document File Organized

Once you start gathering records, keep everything in one place. You will need these same documents for medical appointments, benefit applications, and potentially court proceedings later. Track which agencies received copies and when, what has been approved, and what is still pending.

The South Dakota School and Medical Consent Guide includes a document preparation checklist that covers every piece of paper you need across school enrollment, medical appointments, and public benefit applications — so you can see gaps before they become emergencies.

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