Policy on temporary residency outside Rancho Santa Fe School District boundaries renewed

The Rancho Santa Fe School District board approved the renewal of a policy July 6 on continued enrollment of children whose parents are temporarily not residing in the district.

The policy was adopted by the board in 2008 to address a very limited exception to the rule set forth by the California Legislature that only parents or legal guardians who actually reside in the district may enroll their children in the district. The policy provides a limited exception during the period when the parent or guardian will be temporarily residing outside the district due to home renovation or construction work, at the discretion of the superintendent and provided the resident had lived in the district for at least three years.

The policy had reached its sunset clause date in 2012 but the board didn’t revisit it until this year.

According to Superintendent David Jaffe, the board voted to reinstate the policy with the slight addition of new homes, not just renovation and construction work.

The new policy does not have a sunset clause.

At the July 6 meeting, board member Scott Kahn made a public announcement about his own residency status in the district. He has been a permanent resident of Rancho Santa Fe for six years and he recently purchased land in Rancho Santa Fe to build a new home.

“In the meantime, I sold my old home and have been living in a rental property in Rancho Santa Fe where I had planned to live during the pendency of construction of my new home,” Kahn’s statement read. “Unfortunately the rental is being sold. I have attempted to find a suitable living arrangement within the district but have been unable to do so.”

As a result, Kahn will be living temporarily outside the district for seven to 10 months while his new home is built. He plans to immediately move in once construction is completed.

Kahn recused himself for the vote on the policy and it passed 4-0.