Enrollment

An adult parent or guardian must accompany students seeking to enroll in one of the schools operated by the Columbus Municipal School District.  Students not accompanied by a parent or guardian may be refused admission until such time as a parent or guardian accompanies the student.

Pre-K-5

Because of the school choice initiative of the district, students must report to the Brandon Central Services Center located at 2630 McArthur Drive for placement in a school.  Required documents must be presented at that time.

Grades 6-12

Students in grades 6-8 are enrolled at Columbus Middle School and students in grades 9-12 are enrolled at Columbus High School.

 Documents Required for Enrollment

1. Birth Certificates: To be eligible for the kindergarten program, a student must be five years old on or before September 1st of the current year.   To be eligible for the first grade, a student must be six years old on or before September 1st of the current school year.  A certified copy of the birth certificate is required for permanent enrollment of all students.  Applications for Mississippi certified birth certificates are available in the school office or at the local health department.  New students in other grades may be asked to provide a birth certificate if their records are incomplete.   The full legal name must be used to enroll students.   At the judgment of the principal a student maybe temporarily enrolled for a period of 30 days in order for the family to secure a certified copy of a birth certificate.
2. Certificates of Immunization: All students, regardless of grade level, must present a Mississippi Certificate of Compliance concerning immunizations.   Immunization certificates may be obtained from the Lowndes County Health Department or a doctor.
3. Social Security Numbers: Parents are asked to furnish each student’s Social Security number, which may be used as a computer identification number throughout the child’s school career .  A space for the Social Security number is provided on the student information sheet.
4. Verification of Residence: In the Columbus Municipal School District, parents, legal guardians, or other adults seeking to enroll students must provide documentation that is 30 days old or less to verify that each student resides with the parent or legal guardian in the Columbus Municipal School District boundaries at the beginning of the current school year.   All students must provide the required documentation to verify residency each year.  However, students approved for legal transfer from another school district are exempt from this residency process.

Proof of Residency

Two current proofs of residency (one of which must have been issued within the last 30 days) indicating that both child and parent reside in the Columbus School District.

Acceptable Proofs of Residency include the following:

One current utility bill:

• Cable
• Water
• Electricity
• Gas
• Landline phone

AND

One of the following:

• Homestead Exemption
• Mortgage or Lease Agreement
• Drivers License or Voter Registration Card
• Vehicle Registration

*The name and address must be the same on BOTH documents.