Every child can go to public school

Signing up for school can feel scary when you are missing papers. Your child belongs in school, and you can start today. This page covers enrolling in school. It is not legal advice. For what to do if immigration agents come, see If immigration agents come. For a backup plan for your children, see Make a family preparedness plan.

What papers do I bring?

Two things: proof of your child's age, and proof that you live in the district. You do not need every paper on these lists. One good paper for each is usually enough, though some districts ask for more (see the district steps below).

To show your child's age, state law lets schools accept any of these:

• A birth certificate, from any country
• A baptism certificate
• A passport
• If you have none of these, a signed statement from you (an affidavit)

To show where you live, state law lists papers like these:

• A rental agreement, lease or rent receipt
• A utility bill or receipt (power, water, gas)
• A pay stub
• A property tax bill
• A letter from a government office
• A signed statement from you saying where you live

Also bring, if you have them:

• Your child's shot records. Schools need these. If your child is behind, the school may let them start and catch up on a schedule. Ask the office.
• Report cards or school records from your child's last school, in any country.
• An IEP or 504 plan, if your child gets special education or disability support.
• Your own photo ID. A consular ID or passport from your home country works at many offices.

How do I enroll in East Palo Alto?

Go to the district for your child's grade. Ravenswood City School District covers transitional kindergarten through 8th grade. Sequoia Union High School District covers 9th through 12th grade.

Transitional kindergarten through 8th grade: Ravenswood City School District

1. Check the age rules. For the 2026 to 2027 school year, a child who turns 4 by September 1, 2026 can go to free, full day transitional kindergarten. A child who turns 5 by that date should start kindergarten.
2. Register online or in person. Start online through the district's registration page, or go to the Registration Office (address and hours are in the box at the top).
3. Bring your papers. The district lists proof of age (birth certificate, baptism certificate, passport or affidavit), your ID, any mail with a parent's name and address, shot records, and a TB test or TB risk check from the last 12 months. Kindergarten students also need a dental check.
4. Ask for help if you get stuck. Call or text the registration help numbers in the box at the top. Student Services also helps with online registration Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The main district line is (650) 329-2800.

9th through 12th grade: Sequoia Union High School District

1. Find your school. Your high school is based on your home address. Use the district's boundary search, or call and ask. Students can also apply to East Palo Alto Academy, a high school in East Palo Alto, through open enrollment.
2. Fill out the online registration. The district requires it for every new student. The dates are in the box at the top. If you move here after the deadline, or in the middle of the year, apply right away. Your child can still enroll, but the district says a spot at your home school is not guaranteed.
3. Show your address and ID. The district asks for one parent ID (it lists a consular photo ID and a passport among the options), one main proof of address such as a lease, and two more papers such as a utility bill or pay stub, dated in the last three months and showing a parent's name and address. You can bring them to the District Office or use the kiosk there.
4. Bring your child's papers. A birth certificate or passport, shot records, and any IEP or 504 plan.
5. Meet the school. For a mid year start, take your papers to your child's school to choose classes with a counselor.

The district has a Newcomer Family Liaison for students who have recently arrived in the United States, at (650) 369-1411, extension 22537.

• Newcomer Welcome Center (Sequoia Union High School District)
• How to enroll (East Palo Alto Academy), or call (650) 839-8900

What can the school not ask for?

Your status, a Social Security number, or papers that show your status. The California Attorney General tells schools and families what is allowed. Under those rules, a school may not require:

• Your immigration status or your child's. Schools should not ask, and you do not have to say.
• A Social Security number or card. It is never needed to enroll.
• Passports or visas as proof of status. You do not have to show papers that reveal your status. You can use other papers to show age and address.

A school may ask where your child was born or when they came to the United States. This helps with programs such as English classes. The Attorney General says this should be asked separately from enrollment, you do not have to answer, and saying no cannot stop your child from enrolling.

For free meals, a school may ask for the last four digits of an adult's Social Security number. The school must tell you that leaving it blank will not stop your child from enrolling.

What do I say if the school asks for papers?

Stay calm and polite. Most of the time a staff member is using an old form or does not know the rule. If a form asks for a Social Security number or immigration papers, you can leave that part blank. Use the script below. If the school still says no, ask for the name of the person you spoke with, write down the date, and contact the district office or the Bureau of Children's Justice.

What if we do not have a stable place to live?

Your child can still enroll right away. If your family lost housing and now stays with others, in a motel, a shelter, a car or anywhere temporary, a federal law called McKinney Vento protects your child.

• Your child can enroll right away, even without the usual papers, even without shot records, and even after a deadline has passed.
• Your child can stay at the school they went to before, if you want, and can ask for a ride to get there.
• Your child qualifies for school meal programs automatically.
• If the school disagrees, your child must be enrolled while the disagreement is worked out.

Every school district must have a staff person, called the homeless liaison, to help. Ask the front office: "Can I talk to your homeless liaison?"

What if my child is learning English?

When you enroll, the school will give you a short home language survey. If your child speaks another language at home, the school will give a test called the Initial ELPAC to see how well your child speaks, reads and writes English. The school must tell you in writing that the test is coming, and send you the results within 30 days of your child's first day.

Children still learning English get lessons focused on English, plus English support inside their other classes. If you need an interpreter or papers in your language, ask the school what it can offer. When 15 percent or more of a school's students speak the same language other than English, California law says the school must send notices, reports and records to parents in that language too, and you may answer in your language (Education Code 48985, checked October 21, 2026).

Are school meals free?

Yes. California public schools, including charter schools, give every student a free breakfast and a free lunch each school day, if the child wants one. You do not have to apply for this. Some schools still send home a meal or income form, because it can help the school get funding. Your child gets free meals either way.

Does my child really have the right to go to school?

Yes. In 1982 the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case called Plyler v. Doe. It said a state may not keep children out of free public school because they are undocumented. That ruling is still the law. Some states have tried to limit it, but it has not been overturned. California law goes further and protects students from being treated unfairly because of their immigration status.

What this means for your family:

• School is free. Your child gets the same free public education as any other child.
• Your child belongs. Your child can take part in classes, sports, clubs and programs on the same terms as every other student.
• School is required. In California, children from 6 to 18 generally must be enrolled in school.
• No bullying because of status. Harassment or bullying because of where a child is from, or their family's status, is not allowed. You can report it to the school district.

It does not matter whether you, your child or anyone in your home has papers. It does not matter how long you have lived here. The right is the same.

What if immigration agents come to a school?

California law says school staff should not let immigration agents into private parts of a school, or give them student or family information, without a warrant or order signed by a judge. Schools must have a plan to tell parents if immigration agents are confirmed on campus. Staff need a parent's OK before an agent talks to a child, unless the agent has an order from a judge.

For what to do and say yourself, see If immigration agents come. To choose a trusted adult who can pick up your child, and to update your child's emergency contacts, see Make a family preparedness plan.

Who can help?

These are free public offices. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Ravenswood City School District Registration Office: enrolling in transitional kindergarten through 8th grade. 2160 Euclid Avenue, East Palo Alto. Registration help: call (650) 838-3564 or text (650) 384-7797. Main line (650) 329-2800. ravenswoodschools.org
• Sequoia Union High School District: enrolling in high school, and the Newcomer Family Liaison. 480 James Avenue, Redwood City. (650) 369-1411, extension 22395 for enrollment or 22537 for the Newcomer Family Liaison. seq.org
• East Palo Alto Academy: 1050 Myrtle Street, East Palo Alto. (650) 839-8900. epaahs.org
• California Attorney General, Bureau of Children's Justice: complaints when a school asks about status, turns a child away, or allows bullying because of status. (800) 952-5225, BCJ@doj.ca.gov. File a complaint. The Bureau looks at wider problems and may send a single family's case to the California Civil Rights Department instead.
• California Department of Education: the state's page for immigrant families, with a resource toolkit for families. Including Immigrant Families
• 211: free help finding food, housing and other local services. 211: free help finding local services

Your child belongs in a classroom. We hope this helps you take the first step today.