Residency
Massachusetts General Law requires that all students attending public school must attend a school in the town where they reside. Since Fairhaven does not participate in School Choice, only students who reside in the Town of Fairhaven may attend Fairhaven Public Schools.
“Residence” is defined as the place where a person lives. As stated in policy JCBA-Student Residence, the Fairhaven School Committee reserves the right to require a variety of records and documentation as well as the right to investigate where a student resides.
Who Must Prove Residency
Parents/Guardians of the following students must prove residency:
- New Students
- Moving to Kindergarten, Grade 6, and Grade 9
- Currently registered under a Resident or Landlord Affidavit will be required to provide proof of residency annually
- This requirement also applies to students planning to attend Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational High School or Bristol County Agricultural High School
For Fairhaven High School students ONLY: If you are joining us from Acushnet, you must prove your residency with the Town of Acushnet.
How Residency Is Proved
Proof of residency consists of at least one document from each of the following sections (A, B, and C). Please provide a document from each section to verify Fairhaven residency.
Provide one of the following documents that corresponds to the student's physical address residency type:
- Record of recent mortgage payment and/or property tax bill with parent/guardian name
-
Landlord Affidavit with mortgage/property tax bill
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Resident Affidavit with mortgage/property tax bill
- This form must be completed by the Fairhaven resident with whom the student resides (for example, the homeowner) and must be notarized.
- Download the Resident Affidavit
Recent bill dated within the past 60 days showing your name and Fairhaven address. Accepted types:
- Gas Bill
- Excise Tax Bill
- Cable Bill
- House Phone Bill (cell phone bills are not accepted)
- Car Insurance Bill
- Health Insurance Statement with address
- Valid Driver's License or other valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID of all parent(s)/guardian(s) with whom the student resides
How to Submit Residency Proof Online
Proof of residency is submitted online via Aspen using the Proof of Residency form. Parents/guardians should log in to the Family Portal, complete the form, upload the required documents from Columns A, B, and C, and submit it for review by school staff.