A suburban Chicago school district is using license plate recognition software to verify student residency, denying enrollment to families whose vehicles don't match district addresses. Alsip Hazelgreen Oak Lawn School District 126 told Thalía Sánchez her daughter couldn't enroll because the system showed her car registered to Chicago addresses, despite Sánchez providing mortgage statements and utility bills.

Sánchez moved to Alsip last summer and has been living there with her daughter, but the district's CLEAR software flagged her vehicle. She says she loaned her car to a Chicago family member during the verification period. The district pays Thompson Reuters Clear $41,904 for a 36-month contract that began in December 2024, the same month Sánchez moved in.

The plate reader company markets its tool as protecting "the financial health of public schools" and ensuring "trust and equity" in public education. Sánchez's daughter now attends a private school 45 minutes away. The district hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment about how the technology factors into enrollment decisions.