With schools preparing to begin classes next month, Alabama's school superintendent is reminding city and county school officials that students don't need a Social Security number to enroll, and their parents don't need an Alabama driver's license or state-issued ID to enroll them.
State Superintendent Tommy Bice sent a memo Monday saying that providing a child's Social Security number is voluntary. He says not providing a Social Security number won't bar a child from being enrolled. Bice also said that parents can establish their residency with a utility bill or residential lease, rather than a driver's license.
Bice sent the memo after one of the organizations that challenged Alabama's immigration law, the Southern Poverty Law Center, complained in April that some schools were still requesting Social Security numbers.