The District requires completion of a form containing information on each student seeking admission. If the student is not living with a parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control of the student, the District will verify the student’s reason for establishing a residence separate and apart from the student’s parent, legal guardian, or other person having lawful control of the student under an order of a court.

Open communication and adherence to legal requirements is a priority in VISD that benefits students, parents and the district.  To help verify parental rights and ensure accurate access, parents must provide campus administration with copies of all current custodial court documents. This is also crucial for maintaining student safety and facilitating effective communication. 

The Determination of Residency (DOR) form is used when the parent/guardian AND student are temporarily living with another individual or family. This form expires July 31 of each school year OR as soon as the family moves to another address.

In the event the parent/guardian is renting and can not retrieve proper documentation for proof of address please use the form below.

The Power of Attorney (POA) form allows the parent/legal guardian to appoint guardianship responsibility for a minor child to another adult. This designated adult will be responsible for the student's school-related matters. This form expires July 31 of each school year. The parent/guardian and the power of attorney (referred to as the caregiver) must present a picture I.D. when applying for a POA. If the parent/legal guardian is not present when the POA request is initiated, he/she must be willing to provide the campus with a signed, dated, notarized statement indicating who is being designated as the child's responsible party/caregiver and what types of day-to-day school-related activities the caregiver will have authority over.

Once guardianship is granted to the designated responsible party, the caregiver (i.e. POA) will be responsible for said child/children in the areas of attendance, grades, behavior and other school-related matters. In the event action must be taken in the future for failure to comply with school attendance regulations, the POA may be responsible for fines levied by the courts.

A student must attend the neighborhood school in the attendance zone in which the parent/legal guardian actually resides. The District understands that in valid cases of hardship, a Power of Attorney may be needed and the student may need to reside with a relative or friend of the parent AND in such cases the student may be eligible to attend the school assigned to the POA/caregiver's address. In order for this arrangement to be considered (decisions are made on a case-by-case basis), the POA/caregiver must complete a student transfer application.  For more information, contact the Office of Student Services at 361-788-9250.

The abuse of the DOR and POA forms for a minor student to circumvent the transfer policy of this school district is not permitted. Legitimate use of these forms is allowed, but cases of abuse or misrepresentation will result in the immediate return of the student to the proper neighborhood school assigned to his/her parent/guardian.
Furthermore, the fraudulent use of these forms may result in further legal action by the District and a report to local law enforcement for possible prosecution pursuant to Texas Education Code, 25.002(d), Texas Penal Code, 37.10(3) Tampering with Governmental Record and Texas Education Code Chapter 25 Admission, Transfer, and Attendance (h). Please note:

• School enrollment and assignment is provisional and not final until these forms have been reviewed and/or approved by District personnel.

• Falsification of information or submission of misleading information may be cause for revoking the student’s school assignment.

• The "Power of Attorney" and "Determination of Residency" requests must be renewed each year and are unilaterally revocable within five (5) days receipt of written notice by parent/legal guardian or adult accepting authority. A Revocation Form must be completed on campus or in the VISD Office of Student Services.

Students who have moved into the District, are living apart from their parent/legal guardian and who have engaged in misconduct that resulted in any of the consequences found in Education Code 25.001(d) shall NOT be permitted to attend a VISD school.
Reference FD (LEGAL) FD (LOCAL). 

The District is not required to admit such person if the person has:

• Engaged in conduct that resulted in removal to a disciplinary alternative education program or expulsion within the preceding year;

• Engaged in delinquent conduct or "conduct in need of supervision" and is on probation or other conditional re-lease for that conduct; or

• Been convicted of a criminal offense and is on probation or other conditional release.
  Education Code 25.001(a), (b), (d)