HENRICO, Va. – The living room in her Henrico home now doubles as a classroom, and Jasmine Jenkins can add substitute teacher to her list of responsibilities when she isn’t working as a nursing assistant.
Her third and fourth grade children have missed several weeks of schools after they were withdrawn by the school from Pinchbeck Elementary.
Jenkins showed the CBS 6 Problem Solvers a letter the district sent last month informing her they don't believe she lives in this house on Blue Jay Lane.
The kids' great grandmother said she watches them walk to/from the bus stop almost daily.
“Every day when they come home, I’ll be standing at the door because I know what time the bus comes in the morning, so we will be ready,” said great grandmother Clara Jackson.
Jenkins is adamant she lives there with her children, grandmother and her mom whose name is on the lease.
Jenkins has been teaching kids at home
She said the district told her a tip came in questioning her residency, and investigators looked into it.
“I asked ‘who is they?’’ Jenkins said. “She said it doesn't matter. Just know that they said you didn't live there at the address and I said ‘apparently they went to the wrong house.’”
Jenkins said she gave several documents to verify her residency.
“I took my [tax] refund verification papers, I had a driver's license and had court papers with me. Mom brought her lease. I have bank statements with address on it, hospital bills with my address on it.”
Jenkins received this letter from the school district noting that her story was inconsistent, and investigators only spotted the kids near the home one time.
Her kids have now missed three weeks of school and she hasn't been told where her children should be going or where school officials think she lives.
Jenkins said she has no idea where to turn next and she's also worried that they are now into SOL testing and her kids are not in school.
Henrico County Schools spokesperson Andy Jenks said for privacy reasons they can't speak specifics about a student or family situation.
He said that when a tip comes in they investigate, allow a parent to prove their residency during a review process and then a final decision is made.
After that, there is no appeal, he said.
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