RAYTOWN, Mo. — A mother of two Raytown C-2 School District children was caught off guard when she received a call to pick them up from school.
"I get a call to pick up her up because enrollment is not done because of residency," Jennifer Flores said.
District staff told Flores' daughter, Deztiney Flores, she couldn't be in class.
"They were like you’re not enrolled, you have to go home," Deztiney Flores, who is in sixth grade, said. "Had to call my mom and she had to come pick me up."
Her two children attended schools in the district last year, and Jennifer Flores told KSHB 41 News that she filled out all the required paperwork.
"Not only did I send the paperwork, but a staff member with Raytown sent the paperwork, called and verified it," Jennifer Flores said. "When she called, they verified they received it. They just didn't have time to process it that we wouldn't have to wait."
Throughout the day, Jennifer Flores was left with many questions left unanswered.
"How did she get her schedule already if she wasn't processed? How did I get her transportation if she wasn't processed? How did she attend orientation Friday if she wasn't processed?" Jennifer Flores said. "So why did she get sent home today and miss a whole day of education and her first day of junior high?"
KSHB 41 News reached out to the district on why this happened to several dozen families on the first day of school.
A district spokesperson told KSHB 41 news that district officials are "actively investigating" residency and enrollment issues and trying to respond immediately to affected families.
"Each year, the district follows a centralized enrollment process, which starts online through our parent portal," the spokesperson said. "The process occurs annually for all families to confirm that they reside within the school district boundaries and have completed the necessary immunizations required by law to start the school year. This is an individualized process for each family. If by the start of the first day of school, our records indicate that a family has not completed enrollment for their student(s), parents/guardians will be called to pick up their student(s). Their student(s) will not be placed in a seat until enrollment is confirmed as completed. The cause of this must be addressed on a case-by-case basis because it is unique to each family."
Jennifer Flores said she felt that school should have been delayed until district officials were prepared. However, later Monday, she received a different kind of call from the school assistant principal.
"She apologized for what was going on and guaranteed that my kids could come to school tomorrow," Jennifer Flores said. "So hopefully they can come tomorrow and it will flow smoothly."
The district's Residency and Enrollment Office can be reached at 816-268-7035 or residency@raytownschools.org.
