Enrollment FAQ

In lieu of a birth certificate you may provide: (1) A passport; (2) An attested transcript of the certificate of birth; (3) An attested transcript of the certificate of baptism or other religious record showing the date and place of birth; (4) An attested transcript of a hospital record showing the date and place of birth of the child; (5) a birth affidavit [O.R.C. 3313.672].

If your child was born in Ohio, you can order your child’s birth certificate at Columbus Public Health, Vital Statistics online, by phone or by mail. Allow up to 3- 4 weeks for delivery. Click here for more info: Ohio BC Order Form

For your convenience, we have computers available at our Welcome Center.  We will be happy to assist you and can make copies of your documents while you are here. Please contact the Welcome Center to make an appointment, and please be sure to have all required documents with you upon arrival.

Welcome Center at Clark Hall
380 Granville Street, Suite A
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 643-8300
gjpswelcomecenter@gjps.org 

Once a student has been withdrawn, you will need to re-enroll. Please visit the district website to begin the enrollment process again. You will need to provide all of the required documents for registration.

We are eager to connect you with emergency assistance. Please contact Jennifer Korn, District Student Services Coordinator & Homeless Liaison to see if your family qualifies for services under The McKinney Vento Act.

kornj@gjps.org
(614) 479-1306

No. School enrollment may be completed online. Please visit our website to begin the online enrollment process. Instructions for online enrollment, as well as a list of all documents required for upload can also be found on our website.

No. Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools honors all suspensions and expulsions from other school districts. If your child is presently serving an expulsion, a representative from the Assistant Superintendent’s office will contact you once you’ve begun the enrollment process with the Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center does not process homeschooling requests. Please contact our Central Office at (614) 471-7065 to begin this process.

No. Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools does not allow open enrollment from another district.

Per Ohio Revised Code 3313.64(F) A parent may enroll their child into a school district tuition free while waiting for the completion of a newly built home in the district or waiting to close on a home they have in contract to purchase. Tuition-free attendance will not exceed 90 calendar days. A parent who decides to enroll their child into Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools in this situation must complete a Temporary Residence Waiver and submit it to the Welcome Center.

No. Once the term of your lease begins and you are physically living in our district, your child will be able to begin school in our District.

If you are residing with a friend or family member within the GJPS attendance boundaries, a Residency Affidavit Form is required. The following documentation must also accompany the Residency Affidavit Form:

• Two (2) pieces of mail or documentation, dated within the last 30 days, which include the parent/guardian’s name and address. 

• If you are living with someone who owns their property: proof of ownership (mortgage statement, printout from County Auditor’s website, tax statement, deed) and a current electric, gas, or monthly water bill as proof of residency of the homeowner is required.

• If you are living with someone who rents their property: a copy of the original signed lease which lists the parent/guardian and students as occupants. 

• A postmarked envelope from mail that has been sent to you at the Gahanna-Jefferson address. 

The completed and notarized form, along with all required documentation must be returned to the Welcome Center. 

Contact the Welcome Center at gjpswelcomecenter@gjps.org or (614) 643-8300 to report these incidents. We will make every attempt to keep your call anonymous.

Please complete the Change of Address Form and submit it to the Welcome Center. Once your address is changed, we ask for a 24-48 hour turnaround time on arranging new transportation.

No. You would need to obtain custody /guardianship of the child and, as required by Ohio law, a court order granting parental rights must be provided at the time of enrollment. Please contact Franklin County Clerk of Courts at (614) 525-4410 for further details.

If the motion is court filed and stamped with a future hearing date, typically within 60 days, yes, we can accept this motion until the final court documents are completed. After 60 days, tuition will be charged if a court order is not provided.

Proof of custody must be provided at the time of enrollment in order to enroll your child(ren). In the State of Ohio, if parents were never married, the mother is automatically the sole custodial parent unless the father goes to court and obtains an order of custody [O.R.C. 3109.04.3]. Please contact:

Franklin County Clerk of Courts
373 South High Street, 4th Floor
(614) 525-4411

No. The court order must be court filed and stamped as well as signed by a judge or magistrate in order for the court order to be considered valid.

No. We cannot accept notarized statements. A court order granting parental rights must be provided at the time of enrollment. Please contact:

Franklin County Probate Court 
373 South High Street, 4th Floor 
Guardianship Department: (614) 525-3841 
Guardianship Information Line: (614)525-3858

This all depends upon what is outlined in the court document. The district of residence for purposes of school attendance = the residence of the sole residential parent. As a result of a legal separation, divorce, or dissolution, the domestic relations court should issue a decree or order designating one parent to be the residential parent and/or legal custodian. The court may also approve a shared parenting plan that outlines custody. A shared parenting decree should designate one parent as the residential parent. Divorced parents with children will have a court order allocating rights and responsibilities, which must be submitted to the Welcome Center.

No. According to Ohio law, a non-custodial parent has the same rights as a custodial parent. Therefore, the non-custodial parent has a right to access student records. The only exception to this is if you have a protection order or restraining order which would not allow access by the other parent. If you have such an order and wish for us to honor your request, the school MUST have a copy of the order. Otherwise, we cannot deny the non-custodial parent rights to student records.

No. Under the Grandparent Caretaker Law, when a child resides with a grandparent and the grandparent does not have legal custody, the grandparent may obtain a grandparent power of attorney [R.C. 3109.52] or a caretaker authorization affidavit [R.C. 3109.65] to allow the grandparent to make educational decisions for the child and enroll the child in school. Both documents must be notarized and filed with the juvenile court within 5 days of their execution. These documents must be provided to the Welcome Center for student enrollment.