Registration

Register For Your School

Every student, every year, must complete the registration process to attend Germantown Municipal School District. The information on these pages is for families zoned to GMSD schools (City of Germantown residents) and those who have applied and been accepted into our district.

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open.

GMSD Tuition

Enrollment

1. Determine Eligibility

Are You a Resident of Germantown?
Is Your Child Ready to Begin Kindergarten?

Are You a Resident of Germantown?

View our School Admissions 6.203 Policy

Per Germantown Municipal School District (GMSD) policy, only students who are legal residents of GMSD’s boundaries (City of Germantown residents) or have applied and been accepted may attend our schools. Generally, a student’s residency aligns with the legal custody of the student.

To register, the person enrolling the student must submit:

Proof of Legal Custody
Proof of Residency (Living Situation)

Who Needs to Provide Proof of Residency?

All students (residents and non-residents) are required to show proofs of residency each year during registration.

Need Help Determining Your Zoned School?
Use our school zone locator tool to verify if you live within GMSD boundaries and locate your assigned school. Simply enter your home address to view your designated school. *Note that all elementary and middle school families are zoned to Houston High School.

GMSD School Zone Locator
Please note: GMSD school zone maps are provided to assist in identifying school assignments for students residing within the Germantown Schools district. Data accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Errors or omissions are possible and the user is hereby advised of that possibility. The data that supports the map content is updated only periodically and therefore may not reflect the most current conditions. To confirm or verify any information contained within the web map, please contact Student Services at (901) 752-7900. Final school assignments are determined by GMSD based on programmatic and enrollment needs.

Is Your Child Ready to Begin Kindergarten?

RETURNING STUDENTS 25-26 Registration

GMSD Registration for the upcoming 25-26 school year is now open!

Returning Students

This link is for current families that are registering a returning student.

For Returning Students: Registration is now open, and it will remain open until the first day of the 25-26 school year, August 6, 2025.

Create your account in Powerschool.
Login, and navigate to the "Forms" tab on the left hand side.
Each required form for registration is viewed as a separate upload. Your registration will not be complete, until a green check appears next to each required form, indicating that it has been properly uploaded.

***After submitting the final form, verify that you have completed all registration steps by clicking the Forms tab on the left (shown above). All forms should have a green checkmark and show submitted (see below). If not, your registration is incomplete. You will not receive an email once registration is completed. Registration is complete when you see green checkmarks by each form you submitted. The image below is what your completed registration will look like.

This image details what completed registration check marks will look like in powerschool.

Returning Students

NEW STUDENTS 25-26 Registration

GMSD Registration for the upcoming 25-26 school year is now open!

New Students

This registration link is for new families and current GMSD families registering a new student.

For New Students: Registration is now open!
Once New Students have received their approval email, you will then complete the steps listed under "Returning Students."

NEW STUDENTS

*For students moving from one GMSD school to another (i.e. Forest Hill to Houston Middle), you will complete registration as a returning student.

3. Prepare Your Documents

Preparing For Registration - NEW STUDENTS

To complete the enrollment process for new students, please prepare the following documents. If you are unable to upload these documents, you will need to bring the documents to your school’s front office during your new student appointment.

New Student Information Needed During Registration

Be prepared to enter or provide:

Household Information: Address and phone numbers.
Parent/Guardian Information: Work and cell phone numbers, email addresses.
Student Emergency Contacts: Names, home, work, and cell phone numbers, and email addresses.
Prior School Attendance Information: School name, city, state, country, and phone (if applicable).
Health Provider Information: Primary health and dental provider names and phone numbers.
Two Proofs of Residency: View a full list of accepted documents and guidelines below.
Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Certificate:
Contact the Office of Coordinated School Health for details or refer to TN Immunization Requirements.
Unofficial Transcript and/or Report Card
For transfer students, submit documents from previous school(s). Rising 9th-grade students should provide their 8th-grade report card.
Shared Residency Documentation
(if applicable).

You will be asked to bring these items to the school during your New Student Appointment:

Certified Copy of Birth Certificate (or officially acceptable evidence of the date of birth).
Custody Papers and Parenting Plan (if applicable).

Preparing For Registration - RETURNING STUDENTS

To complete the enrollment process for returning students, please prepare the following documents. If you are unable to upload these documents, you will need to contact your zoned school for assistance.

Student Information Needed During Registration

Be prepared to enter or provide:

Household Information: Address and phone numbers.
Parent/Guardian Information: Work and cell phone numbers, email addresses.
Student Emergency Contacts: Names, home, work, and cell phone numbers, and email addresses.
Two Proofs of Residency: View a full list of accepted documents and guidelines below.
Health Provider Information: Primary health and dental provider names and phone numbers.
Student Health History: Parents/guardians must update any changes to their child’s health history each year.

Additional Required Documents for 7th Graders Only

Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Certificate:
All children entering 7th grade (including currently enrolled students) must provide:
- Verification of immunity to varicella (2 doses or credible history of the disease).
- Evidence of one Tdap dose (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster) given any time before 7th-grade entry, regardless of Td history (2013 update).
  For more details, visit TN Immunization Requirements.

Custody Papers and Parenting Plans

Provide updates only if changes have been made.

Proofs of Residency - Both NEW and RETURNING STUDENTS

Parents/Guardians must provide TWO of the following items showing the parent/guardian’s name and address to verify residency. GMSD requires all students, new and returning, resident and non-resident, to upload these documents every school year.

1. Most recent MLGW OR municipal water bill of the owner, renter or lessee of the home in
which the student will reside during the current school year. Cut off notices will not be accepted;
2. Mortgage statement or deed of the owner of the home in which the student will reside during the current school year;
3. Official lease of the lessee of the home in which the student will reside during the current school year;
4. Official Rental Agreement of the renter of the home in which the student will reside during the current school year;
5. Real Estate tax receipt (Current year only);
6. Public assistance/government benefits check, card, or papers.

Guidance on Uploading Your Documents

Important Notes

Before submitting the application, you can print or save a copy for your records.
Once the application is submitted, no changes can be made. Contact your school for assistance with corrections.
Schools may contact you via email if additional documents or information are required to complete the registration.

For assistance with scanning documents, visit:

Please note that documents will need to be scanned with an app or an actual scanner. Pictures of documents will not be accepted.

4. FAQs about New Student Registration

My student currently attends a GMSD school, if we move outside of Germantown, will he/she be able to remain at the GMSD school?

I am currently residing with a Germantown resident. How do I enroll my child in the GMSD schools?

Does owning and residing in a home in Germantown guarantee that my child will be eligible to attend a GMSD school?

Yes. Anyone living in the city of Germantown is guaranteed a spot in the GMSD school he/she is zoned to attend. View our Zone Locator. Germantown Municipal Schools offers educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability and adheres to the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

My elementary student is transitioning to middle school (or middle school to high school), are they considered a new student or a returning one?

If you have a current student that will be changing schools due to the normal grade progression promotion, your student will automatically move to the zoned school and be considered a returning student. All returning students will need to update information and complete forms for the the following school year during Returning Student Online Registration, in late Spring of 2025. If you need assistance with your login to Family Access, please contact your zoned school.

7. Special Circumstances and Enrollment Support

Foreign Exchange Students

These guidelines are provided to assist the foreign exchange organization, the foreign exchange student, and the host family in understanding the expectations of this privilege:

The local foreign exchange organization representative should contact Student Services to secure approval to place the student in the high school of the host family’s attendance zone. Applications and all required documentation concerning the exchange student should be submitted no later than June 30, prior to the academic year of attendance. The completed application must include basic records, written in English.
Foreign exchange students are accepted for one calendar year, and will not be approved for a single semester.
Because of limited classroom availability, the District will, annually, only accept up to 3 foreign exchange students.
The foreign exchange student is responsible for providing the month/date/ year of all immunization. Immunization records must be in English.
The foreign exchange organization is responsible for providing a copy of the student’s high school transcript for the entire year. The transcript must be in English.
Every foreign exchange student is encouraged to be fluent in writing and speaking English, but will not be denied enrollment if they have limited skills.
The host family must be Germantown Municipal School District (GMSD) residents and enroll the foreign exchange student.
Foreign exchange students will be classified at a level no higher than 11th grade.
No student who has completed the equivalent of the 12th grade in their home country, has received a diploma or a certificate of graduation, or is considered eligible for college or university placement will be eligible to attend a district high school.
Foreign exchange students will not be placed in class ranking.
Foreign exchange students are subject to GMSD attendance and discipline policies and are expected to participate fully in their classes, including taking tests.

Students in Foster Care

Homebound Students

Homebound services in Germantown Municipal Schools are provided in K-12 settings for students who are unable to attend school for a physical and/or mental health condition for a designated period of time. Homebound services are not a disciplinary placement or a place for students to make up missed assignments. It is not a setting to help students regain missing credits.

Students Facing Homelessness

Power of Attorney for Childcare

Power of Attorney For Childcare T.C.A. § 34-6-302

Parents of a minor child may delegate to any adult person residing in this state temporary care giving authority when hardship prevents the parent(s) from caring for the child.

Hardships identified are:

The serious illness or incarceration of a parent or legal guardian;
The physical or mental condition of the parent or legal guardian or the child is such that care and supervision cannot be provided;
The loss or inhabitability of the child's home as the result of a natural disaster.

When one of the above hardships is applicable, the custodial parent(s) and the caregiver must make an appointment to meet with Student Services Personnel in order to complete the application for Power of Attorney.

During the meeting with Student Services personnel, the custodial parent(s)/guardian and the caregiver must provide:

Proof of their identity. Copies of this proof and documents related to the request will be made and included in the file that will remain in Student Services. Verification of the hardship will be required no less than annually.
Child’s birth certificate and/or, in cases where prior custody arrangements have been made, legal documentation of custody.
Verification documents relative to the claim of hardship. Student Services personnel will review these documents.
Proof of residence required to be submitted by the caregiver.

Hardships not listed above should be referred to Juvenile Court to change the custody.

Shared Residency

Shared Residency Verification in GMSD

If a student resides with their parent(s) or guardian(s) in the home of another person, Germantown Municipal School District requires specific documentation to verify residency. Families applying through the Shared Residency program must schedule an in-person meeting with Kathy Dudley by calling 901-752-7900 ext. 7889. For the upcoming school year, appointments will take place in July, and Ms. Dudley will begin scheduling those appointments on June 17.

Please review the requirements and linked packet below carefully.

Requirements:

From the Homeowner:
- Must accompany the parent/guardian and provide two (2) of the following:
  - Recent MLGW or municipal water bill
  - Mortgage statement or deed
  - Lease or rental agreement
  - Real estate tax receipt
  - Other documentation approved by Student Services
From the Parent/Guardian:
- Families will not qualify for shared residency enrollment if:
  - They have active utilities outside of the district.
  - They own or have an active Rental/Lease agreement at another residence.
  - One parent/guardian owns or has an active Rental/Lease agreement at another residence. (Must provide legal documantation showing a legal separation or divorce.)
- Must provide two (2) of the following with the address where the student resides:
  - Car registration
  - Voter registration
  - Payroll stub
  - Three (3) significant pieces of mail (equivalent to one proof of residence)
  - Government assistance communication
- A completed Shared Residency Affidavit (renewed annually).

Residency verification includes possible home visits. Providing false information may result in immediate withdrawal from the district and potential legal action. Contact the Office of Student Services for assistance or questions.

View the Resource Packet for those seeking Shared Residency Registration

Homeschool Information

Parents who choose to home school their own children must:

Provide annual notice to the local director of schools of the parent's intent to home school his/her children and evidence of a high school diploma or GED using GMSD's Intent to Home School Form.
Maintain attendance records and submit these records to the Director of Schools at the end of the each school year. Testing of independent home school students is required in grades 5, 7, and 9 and coordinated through the local school district.

For additional information regarding Home Schooling visit:

Home Schooling in Tennessee

GMSD Intent to Home School Form

Homeschool/Individualized Education Account

Please contact Karen Dodd for additional questions regarding Home Schooling, 901-752-7900

Related Resources

Student Handbook

The GMSD Student Handbook is your go-to resource for understanding district policies, including those related to registration and school admissions. It provides important guidelines and expectations to ensure a smooth experience for families and students. Be sure to review it for all the details you need.

Explore the student handbook

Preschool Program

GMSD offers a specialized preschool program for students with disabilities ages 3–5, which includes opportunities for positive peer models to join the classroom. However, preschool enrollment is managed by our Department of Exceptional Student Education and is not part of the traditional registration process.

For more information, please visit their page.

School Tours

Germantown families, we’d love to show you what makes GMSD an outstanding choice! We offer school tours at each of our campuses year-round, giving you a firsthand look at our exceptional programs, facilities, and opportunities. Schedule a tour today and see how GMSD is empowering our students!

Schedule your school tour now