Enrolling Your Child in a Texas Public School: A Guide for New Arab Immigrant Families

Your child has the right to attend — full stop

Texas law guarantees every child a free public education. School districts must enroll all eligible students regardless of immigration status, and federal guidance explicitly bars districts from discouraging undocumented students — or children of undocumented parents — from enrolling. No school official may ask about your immigration status as a condition of enrollment.

One form often worries new families: the Home Language Survey, which asks what language is spoken at home. This survey exists only to determine whether your child qualifies for English-learner support services. It is not used to determine immigration status.

Step 1: Find your school

Texas assigns students to schools by home address. Use the Texas Education Agency's School District Locator or AskTED directory to find your district, then contact the district's enrollment office to confirm which campus serves your address. Larger districts such as Dallas ISD have centralized enrollment centers that handle the whole process in one visit.

Step 2: Gather your documents

Each district sets its own list, but plan on bringing:

• Proof of residency — usually a lease agreement or a utility bill in your name
• Your child's birth certificate or passport — foreign documents are accepted
• Immunization records — translated if possible, though districts routinely work with foreign records
• Previous school records — helpful for grade placement, but not required to enroll

Missing something? Enroll anyway. TEA cautions districts against denying admission solely because a family cannot immediately produce residency proof, and schools must work with families experiencing displacement. Ask the enrollment office what alternatives they accept.

Step 3: Immunizations

Texas requires a set of vaccinations for school attendance, published by the Texas Department of State Health Services. If your child was vaccinated abroad, bring whatever records you have — the school nurse can map them to Texas requirements and tell you what's missing. Exemptions exist for medical and other specific circumstances.

Arabic-language support in Dallas

If you are enrolling in Dallas ISD, you have more support than you may expect. Arabic is one of the top five home languages in the district. Dallas ISD runs a one-year Newcomer Program at designated campuses focused on English acquisition for newly arrived students, and its Translation Services Department provides free Arabic-speaking tutors who help students academically, interpret for families, and connect them with community resources.

If you live in another DFW district, call its enrollment office and ask two questions: "Do you have a newcomer program?" and "Do you have Arabic interpretation available?" Districts with large immigrant populations usually have both.

The bottom line

Don't wait for perfect paperwork. Texas schools are legally required to welcome your child. Locate your campus, bring the documents you have, and ask for language help — it is there.