Thoughts on filling out forms... SCHOOL forms. Ugh.

OK - Kindergarten Registration - I get that.  I understand that you've got a fresh little five-year-old ready to start school.  You need to know everything there is to know about this child - where he lives, who his parents are, emergency contacts, allergies... a LOT of stuff.

Junior in High School... (AKA the 11th year this child has been in the SAME school district... the 3rd year this child has been at the VERY SAME school, living at the same address, with the same phone numbers, the same Social Security Number (we thought about changing it once, just to keep things interesting...), the same Siblings, the same Parents...FOREVER!) - THIS I don't get.    

By the way - I KNOW they know his name, address & my name because they MAILED ME THE FORMS the week before school started.  Ha!  Bet they didn't think I would catch onto that!  I am also pretty sure they know our phone numbers because the Principal sent out a "calling post" making sure everyone knew when school started.  I got the call on my home phone AND my cell phone.  And, amazingly enough, when he went to "register" a couple of days before school started, and had to bring all his forms with him, they already had his class schedule ready... WITH his name, I might add.  So it's not like they don't know who he is.

To add insult to injury... the Registration form is not the only one you have to fill out. Noooo - it's only the beginning... a teaser... you also have:

The Medical Form (which has the same information as the registration form, but asks if they have any strange food allergies and such.)

The Emergency Contact Form (which has the same stuff as the reg form, too - just in a different order.  See where this is going?)

The US Citizenship Form (just in case we snuck in some random child from Portugal and tried to claim him as our own - verifies address & parent's names)

The Migrant Worker Form (??? what is this - Grapes of Wrath?)

The School District Residency Form (again...verifiying address and parents' names)

The Free Lunch Form

The I-Promise-I-Won't-Look-at-Nasty-Stuff-on-the-Internet Form (kinda speaks for itself)

The I-Don't-Want-A-Copy-of-the-Handbook-but-Promise-to-Read-it-Online Form

The Yes-You-Can-Take-Photos-of-My-Child-and-Post-Them-on-the-Internet-as-Long-as-You-Don't-Post-Their-Name Form

The Bus-Rider Form, PTO Membership Form, Booster Club Form... gosh - I think I'll stop before I wear myself out!

I just wonder WHY they can't make ONE form and copy it??  Send one copy to the District Office, one copy to the Nurse, one to the School Office... you know - so everyone has the same information.  Wonder what would happen if we filled out all of the forms with different info?  Do you think they'd notice?  Do you think if you put that your child suffered from homicidal schitzophrenic episodes on one form, and not on the others, it would raise a flag?  How do they know for sure you're using the correct SSN?  What if it was just your Jr. High bike lock code?  Wonder if they'd notice if I put a different father's name on all the forms?  hmmmm???  

Multiply this all by 3 (because I have THREE children who have all been in the same School District their entire school-going lives) and you could have some fun.  BUT if they DID notice, I'm afraid they might send the men in the white coats...