Chicago Public Schools officials say that any student who submits a fraudulent application for admission to one of the city's selective-admission high schools will face a lifetime ban from those schools.
DNAinfo Chicago reports that the school system's announcement comes a few weeks after its Inspector General issued a report detailing how some students living in the suburbs were using false city addresses to win a highly sought=after admission slot at one of the schools.
“Fraud not only undermines confidence in the school system, it robs a deserving student of an important educational opportunity,” Schools CEO Forrest Claypool says in a news release. “With a lifetime ban, we are sending a strong message to parents that this fraud will no longer be tolerated and that consequences cannot be avoided.”
The ban also will be enforced for students who try to gain admission into a school by falsely stating they live in a "more disadvantaged neighborhood" than their actual residence.
The Inspector General's Jan. 1 report called attention to several instances of suburban-residency fraud. It also stated that it was far too easy for a student kicked out of a school for admissions fraud to either re-enroll at the very same school after a short period of time or transfer to another selective-enrollment school. The report also criticized the district for allowing certain students to continue attending a school and graduate, despite clear-cut evidence of enrollment or admissions fraud.
The school system's 11 Selective Enrollment High Schools are Brooks, Hancock, Jones, King, Lane, Lindblom, Northside, Payton, South Shore, Westinghouse, and Young. The schools "provide academically advanced high school students with a challenging and enriched college preparatory experience," the district says. The schools offer a rigorous curriculum with honors and Advanced Placement courses, and students must take an admissions test to qualify for entry.
For admission to one of the schools in 2016-17, students must provide proof of residency in Chicago by July 1, 2016.