Prepare for Enrollment

Enrollment Process

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Child's Proof of Age

A copy of one of the following must be provided for each child in order to verify age eligibility. To avoid unnecessary delays, provide a copy of this document along with your enrollment documents:

• Official birth certificate
• Passport
• Hospital certificate
• Baptismal papers
• Official court document with birth date
• Official school record

Not Sure Where to Get That?

• If you need a copy of your child's birth certificate, you can order it online through the Maine Department of Public Health. Please visit the Maine Department of Public Health 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.
• Have questions about your U.S. passport? Visit the U.S. Department of State FAQs page.

As a reminder, the age eligibility is as follows:

• Maximum Age: Any student who turns twenty (20) years old on or before July 1 will not be eligible to enroll in Maine Connections Academy.

Proof of Residence

You must provide ONE acceptable proof of residency to be eligible for enrollment in MCA. There are many verifiable forms of documentation, which are detailed below:

Not Sure What is Accepted as Proof?

• A residential utility bill (Acceptable Documents Include: gas, electric, water, sewage, cable, home phone, internet, or propane oil delivery bill from the last 60 days, in the resident's name and service address.
• Property tax statement
• Driver's license or State Issued ID
• Vehicle registration
• Letter from a government agency from the last 60 days

If you do not have any of these documents, please contact the enrollment team at 800-382-6010 to discuss acceptable alternatives.

Child’s Proof of Immunization

All Maine Connections Academy students must provide evidence of the Maine state required immunizations. Under the Maine School Immunization Law, children are required to receive certain immunizations in order to attend public elementary and secondary schools. For more information about the required number of doses and the ages at which vaccines must be given, review the Guide to Immunizations Required for Grades 7–12.

This form may require both the parent/guardian and health care provider signature.

When Do I Need to Provide My Immunization Records?

Immunization records must be presented prior to enrolling in Maine Connections Academy.

Not Sure What Immunizations Are Required?

A complete list of immunization requirements is available on the Maine State Department of Health website. Many Maine medical offices and clinics can now update your child’s immunization record automatically using an electronic immunization registry, known as the Maine Immunization Registry.

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.

By law, Maine managed-care organizations (such as Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross) must cover recommended immunizations for children. Your health plan may charge a co-payment for the shot visit. Check with your health plan or your doctor’s office about any fees.

If you don’t have health insurance, you may be able to get free immunizations through one of these programs:

Immunization Exemptions

Students may be exempt from immunization requirements if (1) their parents sign a statement indicating that such immunization is contrary to their beliefs; or (2) the parents submit a statement from a physician indicating that immunization is not considered safe for the child. An exemption may be temporary or permanent and may be for specific vaccines or all vaccines.

A student may be exempt from immunizations for medical reasons or for personal beliefs. All exemptions require a signature and date on the Statement of Exemption form, which is available in Connexus.

• Healthy Families. Children enrolled in Maine’s Healthy Families plan receive free immunizations with no copayment.
• Vaccines for Children. Many private-practice Maine doctors participate in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which gives free vaccine to eligible children up to age 18. Ask your child’s doctor if his or her office offers VFC shots.
  • Personal or Religious Reasons Exemption: A parent or guardian may have a child exempted from required immunizations if immunization is contrary to his/her beliefs.
  • Medical Exemption: A licensed physician who feels a vaccine is not indicated for a student because of medical reasons should submit to the school (via the patient’s family as needed) a written statement documenting the medical exemption.

Prior Academic Records

Although not required for enrollment, having the documents below ready will help our Academic Placement Services Team efficiently place your student in the appropriate classes.

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: 2020–21)
• 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: 2020–21)
• 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 7–12: Complete the Prior Academic History Form indicating what courses were completed through a homeschool curriculum.

Other Documents for Special Circumstances

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, the school requests that you submit a copy of the most recent IEP and the most recent Evaluation Report. This information will be used to help the school provide your student with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment and not as a condition for enrollment.
  • 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 Evaluation Report.
• 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.
• Gifted documentation: If you are requesting any Gifted and Talented programs, you will need to submit formal gifted documentation which may include gifted assessment results, gifted evaluation, report cards, and state test scores. This document is required for Gifted and Talented course placement.