Each year for student registration, one can find parents filing in line to complete piles of paperwork and add signatures to ensure their children are enrolled in school. This year, it will look drastically different in Troup County School System.

TCSS announced Thursday that there will be a new online registration option for parents starting on March 11.

“We have been seeking a more efficient process for the past few years because we saw our parents and staff were bogged down at the beginning of each school year. We have worked to condense the application to better serve our students and families, and we hope this will be a time-saving step for busy families,” said Shanitra Ransom, coordinator of student assignment and McKinney-Vento district liaison.

TCSS officials said implementing this new registration process will significantly reduce paperwork, save parents and TCSS staff time and efficiently register all existing students.

Ransom said that although the application is electronic, the district will still require new and transfer students to submit their documents, such as the proof of residency and student birth certificates, at the Office of Student Assignment in the Troup County Board of Education building. Existing students will not be required to visit the Office of Student Assignment or register at their school unless there is a change of address. For existing students, registration information will be verified via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal (Parent Portal). 

The Infinite Campus Parent Portal is the system that contains student information such as address, phone number, attendance and grades. Parents must have an active account to take advantage of online registration. If they have never signed into Infinite Campus, parents and/or guardians can follow these steps: 

• Obtain the number key from their child’s school to activate an account in Infinite Campus.
• Create a username and password
• Verify household information
• Update household information where necessary

Letters from the school will be sent home to parents over the next two weeks with additional Infinite Campus Parent Portal activation information. If a parent does not have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account, they cannot register their students for school via the online registration. 

“We piloted this program last year during pre-k and kindergarten registration, and we were able to provide faster service to accommodate our parents. We are looking for the same smooth transition for existing student registration,” Ransom said.

While March 11-15 is the TCSS pre-k and kindergarten registration, parents are still responsible for bringing verification documentation to the Office of Student Assignment for verification. The applications can be completed in advance to expedite the registration process. 

Registering pre-k students are guaranteed entry into the pre-k lottery drawing. Parents will be notified of acceptance by the middle of May. Registering kindergarten students will be assigned to a classroom in their attendance zone.

In addition, if a student is currently enrolled in a TCSS pre-k program within the same school zone as the parent or guardian’s verified address, they will automatically be enrolled in the kindergarten class within the same school. For example, if a student currently attends pre-k at Franklin Forest and the parent’s address is still within the Franklin Forest school zone, the student will automatically be enrolled in kindergarten at Franklin Forest. If the parent or guardian has moved, they must come in and register the child in the school zone that correlates to the new address. 

Parents or legal guardians must present required documentation in person before a child can register into any Troup County school. 

In order to register for pre-k, parents or legal guardians must present a certified birth certificate or passport of the child; a copy of the child’s social security card; a parent or legal guardian’s proof of address; a parent or legal guardian’s photo identification card; and the child must be four years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2019. Students registering after March 16 will be placed on a waiting list.

In order to register for kindergarten, parents or legal guardians must present a certified birth certificate or passport of the child; a copy of the child’s social security card; a parent or legal guardian’s proof of address; a parent or legal guardian’s photo identification card; the Georgia Immunization Form 3231; the Georgia Certificate of Vision, Hearing, Dental, and Nutrition Form 3300 (can be requested from child’s pediatrician or health department); and the child must be five years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2019.

Students registering after March 16 will be assigned to a class and school based on available seats. Students currently enrolled in a non-Troup County School System pre-k program must register for kindergarten.