Byram Resident Says That New BOE Residency Policy Is Elitist

I went to the Board of Education's website to check out the new procedure for landlords; I am one, and they have a child in school. According to the BOE, I must provide a notarized affidavit that they are renting, that I will notify the BOE when they leave and that I understand I can be subject to criminal penalties.

I must also provide a copy of my utility bills and list all other persons in my house along with their relationship to me. There is no landlord law in Connecticut that compels me to do this for my tenant. I don't need to have to dig up my utility bill, take time from work to find a notary, or face criminal penalties if I forget to notify the BOE if my tenant leaves. And who else lives in my house is none of the BOE's business -- why even include this creepy request?

So guess what, I'm not going to do it. And guess what else, they're going to have to admit that student anyway because Connecticut law compels Greenwich to provide an education to all school-age residents. This kind of nonsense doesn't help Greenwich's reputation as elitist since these new onerous requirements only target renters. Go back to your drawing board on this one.

John Bowman
Byram