Published: February 1, 1996

Cracking Down On Nonresident Students

As a parent, Don Griffith understands why some might choose to sneak their children into a school district other than their own, one with a better academic reputation or perhaps a safer environment. But as superintendent of the Decatur city school district in Georgia, Griffith is pulling out all the stops to prevent families from doing so.

Like many other school officials across the country, the superintendent says he is being pressured by the public to expel nonresident students who are attending district schools without paying tuition.

A few states, such as Minnesota and Massachusetts, have enacted programs that allow parents to choose among public schools statewide. But those are the exceptions. In most, the enrollment barriers between...