Why is there so much paperwork every year with school?

[uummm]

I hate repetitive paperwork. EVERY Year I get the same forms from the school...
WHY do they need to know where I went to school? (EVERY YEAR)
Why do they need to know how much school WE completed? (EVERY YEAR)
Why do they need to know what company my husband works for?
Why is it EVERY Year I have to fill out my son's social security number in TWO spots? I filled that out when I originally signed him up for school, why do they need to know this EVERY YEAR when he attends the same school?
Why do they need to know what school he attended last year? HELLO DOES THE COUNTY KEEP NO RECORDS?
Why do they need to know what country he was born in? (EVERY YEAR! like it changes!)
Why do they need to know if we are of Latin descent? They don't ask if we are of native American descent or any other nationality just LATIN.

I get that maybe my phone number or address changed and that I might want to change emergency contacts but the social security number? Why do they have to know that EVERY YEAR, especially when I filled all that out when he started school.
The kids come home with this packet of paper half of which is the same questions on 2-3 different forms...then when I had 3 kids in school....I was really HOT this time of year....

Same with Dr offices, every year I got this one doctor and EVERY Year they ask me the same questions, some of which NEVER CHANGE (like what year I was born, SS number...) one of which is NOT why are you here today. My favorite was when I went to the doctor in June and went back 3 weeks later and I had to fill out the same paperwork AGAIN! I mean, this isn't a "clinic" this is my Primary care physician that I have been going to every year for the past 7 years where they keep my MEDICAL FILES!

[Gertie2u]

For a wonder, my children's school finally wised up this year and we got an envelope with our child's name on it containing a form with the information the school has from last year for us to update. The last year I will have a child in public schools, as my baby graduates in the spring. Losers. To make it more fun, if you wanted to change anything other than the list of people that can pick the child up from the school, it said "submit proof". Proof? What proof do you even send of some of this stuff? I didn't have to produce any proof when I enrolled my child. I actually expected them to want to see maybe a utility bill as proof of residence. They said no they just sent out letters and if we didn't live at the residence, they'd come back so the school would know. I wouldn't know what proof to send of a change in emergency backup contact. A picture? A copy of their driver license? It didn't say. Thankfully, there were no changes whatsoever, and we're all set.

I always want to fill out the impertinent questions with impertinent answers.

Race - sorry, no, my injured knew won't allow me to race.
Birthday - Hm, I'm here, so I must have one. I'm prefer not to share it here as you are not invited to my party, though.
Education - My mommy taught me not to tell strangers personal, private information such as you have requested here.

I've always wondered what they'd do if I tried it. Give me a failing grade? Expel my kid? Lock me up in a rubber room? It probably wouldn't be good. That's the only reason I've never tried it.

[UCF Momma]

While I do get the forms every year, they do not have any of those personal questions on it that you listed above. The public school where my son goes only asked for his social and a copy of my DL when I registered him for Kindergarten.

Every year, they do ask for my address, phone, email, my son's b-day, and the list of people that can pick him up.

[cybilx10]

All of my sons info is now on a computer. Thats how we register him and even fill out the paperwork. All online. They do ask where we work and such but never asked where we went to school. We dont even use ss# anymore, its all by a seperate number that is linked to their ss# so we dont have to give it out.

Good luck paperwork is a pain!

[mom2lucas]

I called and asked about registering DS for the public pre-k here. I was told to bring about 8 different documents and plan to spend 2 to 3 hours for PAPERWORK and an interview WITHOUT DS PRESENT in their office. Then I was told I have a very small chance of DS actually getting into the program because our income was too high. We decided to keep him in the private program he was in last year. Why should I waste my time filling out paperwork and doing an interview when he has a very small chance of getting in anyway? I already knew he had a spot in the program from last year, and DD is going into that same program this year.

[pharrothead]

I just did 3 hours of an orientation (aka the most boring person they could possibly find in the school district making 'jokes' and quotes about sending your child from the elementary to high school) for DD.

Same school district. When one parent questioned why we had to fill out stacks of paperwork with all their information to go from the elementary to high schools the answer was "because we don't share the information" seriously..how hard could it be to set up some kind of data base for the entire school district to access???

Mine had a lot of the same questions including DD's father and I's marital status. Where is the checkbox for "My mom as a Teen Mom before it was cool and she could make 250K a year for airing her relationship dirt on tv' ". There were boxes for Married, Separated, and Divorced. There were other questions I just cringed at because I can't fathom how they have any bearing on my daughter's education (or even funding for the school, which I've heard as an argument before).

[thecouponclippa]

I'm right being ya, pharrothead.

Some things.. the school just has NO business knowing. My daughter has gone to the same school since kindergarten ( now 4th grade. ) They all know me, they all know her. The office secretary is co-leader of my daughter's girl scout troop and I've had her kids over to my house. Of COURSE the info's still the same! If it's not, I'll let you know!

[JulieDB]

Yep! I just did some papers for school. Not as bad as yours but my daughter is in Jr. High now so that means filling out the same papers for each teacher.

The Drs. papers are horrid too. My daughter has had to go to
Children's Hospital several times recently and each time I have to fill out the same papers!

And then the dance studio. Each year I have to fill out the same thing. It's like... Hello! I know you have all that in your computer. She has been going there for years. We haven't moved. It's all the same! But I guess they need a new hard copy each year.

What really got me was the eye Dr. I didn't have to fill anything out but the assistant and the Dr. write sooooo much stuff on our charts. It's like they're writing a novel. They told us our eyes were good. So what were they writing? And why are they writing it instead of putting it in their computer?

[JulieDB]

Oh and what is that Latin thing? All of the surveys I've taken recently really want to know this. So much so that they ask me twice! Is there a need for Latinos or something?

[3timesoccermom]

WOW!!! I can't believe they ask those questions! My biggest problem was the duplication of information. You would fill out multiple forms asking for the exact same thing. It's not a big deal now - just filling out for one kid but when it was for 3 and they send it home the first day and demand it back the next, yes it could sometimes be a problem and a PITB.

I NEVER fill in the social security number - they even ask for that on the Sports physical form. That's none of their @%&! business and it stays blank. If asked I would also leave the 3 questions in bold below blank.

I hate repetitive paperwork. EVERY Year I get the same forms from the school...
WHY do they need to know where I went to school? (EVERY YEAR)
Why do they need to know how much school WE completed? (EVERY YEAR)
Why do they need to know what company my husband works for?
Why is it EVERY Year I have to fill out my son's social security number in TWO spots? I filled that out when I originally signed him up for school, why do they need to know this EVERY YEAR when he attends the same school?
Why do they need to know what school he attended last year? HELLO DOES THE COUNTY KEEP NO RECORDS?
Why do they need to know what country he was born in? (EVERY YEAR! like it changes!)
Why do they need to know if we are of Latin descent? They don't ask if we are of native American descent or any other nationality just LATIN.

I get that maybe my phone number or address changed and that I might want to change emergency contacts but the social security number? Why do they have to know that EVERY YEAR, especially when I filled all that out when he started school.
The kids come home with this packet of paper half of which is the same questions on 2-3 different forms...then when I had 3 kids in school....I was really HOT this time of year....