INSPIRE, the Idaho Connections Academy’s Online School Enrollment Checklist for the 2019-20 School Year

Do you have everything you need? Because Connections Academy is a public school, parents must submit state-required information and documentation for each student. You will save time and enrollment will go more smoothly if you are prepared!

Use the Enrollment Checklist below to gather the documents you will need. The checklist lists your state's requirements, plus tips to help you find documents you may not have. Once you have your documents ready, it’s easy to create an account and complete the enrollment forms in Connexus^®, our online system.

Students who are currently expelled from their local school or district may not be eligible to enroll.

A copy of one of the following documents must be provided for every student to verify age eligibility.

• Official birth certificate
• Passport

To avoid unnecessary delays, provide a copy of the official birth certificate or passport along with your enrollment documents.

Not Sure Where to Get That?

• If you need a copy of your child's birth certificate, you can order it online through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website. Please visit the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics section of the website for more information.
• If your child was born in another state, please visit the CDC’s Where to Write for Vital Records webpage for more information. When using this tool, please remember to follow the CDC's Application Guidelines.

As a reminder, the age eligibility is as follows:

• Kindergarten: Any student enrolling in kindergarten must be five (5) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which he or she is enrolling.
• First Grade: Any student enrolling in first grade must be six (6) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which he or she is enrolling.
• Maximum Age: Any student who turns twenty-one (21) years old on or before September 1 will not be eligible to enroll in Idaho Connections Academy.

You must reside in the State of Idaho and provide acceptable proof of residency to be eligible for enrollment in INSPIRE, the Idaho Connections Academy.

A copy of one of the following documents must be provided to verify your legal residence. If you do not have any of these documents, please contact the enrollment team to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Not Sure What is Accepted as Proof?

• Gas, electric, cable, internet, home phone or water bill from the last 60 days that includes your name and service address
• Mortgage statement from the last 60 days or annual lease agreement
• Pay stubs from within the last 60 days
• W-2 form
• Property Tax Statement
• Letter from a government agency dated within the last 60 days

All INSPIRE, the Idaho Connections Academy students must provide evidence of their immunizations on a State of Idaho Official Immunization Form, the Connections Academy Immunization form, or a booklet obtained from your physician with each dose signed/stamped.

Not Sure What Immunizations Are Required?

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW), "to enter or transfer into a public or private school, all children in preschool and grades K–12 must meet immunization requirements outlined below at registration and before attendance. No child shall attend school without proof of immunization status".

For a current list of the "Minimum Immunization Requirements for School Entry", visit the School Immunizations Requirements section of the IDHW website.

Where Can I Get Immunizations for My Student?

Immunizations can be obtained from doctor’s offices, clinics, or hospitals. Pediatricians and family doctors or their nurses or medical assistants can give your student the shots they need to meet the requirements for school enrollment. In addition, some large chain pharmacies offer immunizations for older children and adults.

What if I Need Assistance Paying for Vaccines?

If you need assistance paying for shots/vaccinations, you may be able to get free or reduced immunizations through this program:

• Vaccines for Children (VFC) program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. Children who are eligible for VFC vaccines are entitled to receive pediatric vaccines that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Immunization Exemptions

Idaho law allows a parent/guardian to claim an exemption from immunization requirements for his or her child for medical or philosophical reasons. All exemptions must be documented on the official Idaho Certificate of Immunization Exemption form. Letters must be submitted each year.

• Philosophical Exemption: Parents/guardians are required to write a comment of explanation regarding their beliefs on the exemption form.
• Medical Exemption: A medical exemption requires the signature of a licensed physician and certification that the child has a medical condition which prevents him or her from receiving required vaccinations.

The law does not allow parents/guardians to claim an exemption because the shot record is lost or incomplete, or because it is too much trouble to contact the physician or clinic and obtain a copy. Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of pupils with exemptions so they can be excluded quickly if an outbreak occurs.

All students who have previously attended public school, private school, or homeschool are eligible to enroll and will be requested to submit academic records for placement.

• Report Card
  For students applying for grades K–9: Please submit a copy of the report card from the most recent school year.
  
  The following items should be included on the report card:
  • Student Name
  • Grade Level
  • School Year (example: 2018–19)
  • School Name
  • Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)
• Unofficial Transcript
  For students applying for grades 10–12: Submit an unofficial transcript that includes the complete end-of-year grades from the prior school year and any academic documentation (such as a progress report/interim report, class schedule, or marking period/semester report card) issued for the current school year. Additional documentation may be requested for placement.
  
  The following items should be included on the unofficial transcript:
  • Student Name
  • Grade Level
  • School Year (example: 2018–19)
  • School Name
  • Grading Scale (example: 90–100%=A)
  • Credits Earned

Not Sure How to Get Your Child’s Report Card or Transcript?

• Contact your student's previous school and request the document, providing them with the information outlined above, OR contact your school's district office with the request.

If after attempting these steps you still cannot obtain your student's report card or transcript, please contact the academic placement services team at 800-382-6010 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Have Your Child(ren) Been Formerly Homeschooled?

• Prior Academic History Form
  For homeschooled students in grades K–8: Complete the Prior Academic History Form indicating what courses were completed through a homeschool curriculum.
• High School Homeschool Credit Form
  For homeschooled students in grades 9–12: Complete the High School Homeschool Credit Form indicating any high school level courses completed through a homeschool curriculum. This form will be available to you in Connexus. 

You may need to provide additional documentation if any of the following circumstances apply:

• Custody order: If your legal guardianship is determined by a court order, please submit a copy of the order.
• Special Education Documentation: If your student has had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) within the past three years, please submit the following documents:
  
  • IEP Documentation: Please submit a copy of the most recent IEP from within the last year.
  • Supporting Evaluation Documentation: Please submit a copy of the most recent Eligibility Report from within the last three years.
• Additional Special Education Documentation:
  
  • IEP Exit Documentation: If your student has been formally exited from special education services, please submit a copy of the formal exit documentation.
• Section 504 Plan: If your student has had a Section 504 plan within the past three years, please submit a copy of this document.
• State Test Scores: Your student’s state assessment scores may be reviewed by an academic placement advisor during the course placement process. Please submit a copy if the results are available.

Ready to Enroll?

Once you have all of the required documentation (outlined above), you are ready to proceed with enrollment in INSPIRE, The Idaho Connections Academy.