I have located the epitome of bad customer service, courtesy of my children's school system.

I went in today to ask for two affidavits. Our school system requires a ridiculous set of checks and balances to ensure that no child from another district attends the local schools. They have a button on their website that you can press and fill out a form reporting out of district students. If you live in the district, but do not own a house or rent an apartment, you must fill out an affidavit for each child. This is a form that must be notarized and returned to the school before they will assign your child to a classroom. For anyone that enrolls their child using an affidavit, this also includes a visit by the local police department to prove that you live where you say you do.

Back to the story. I went in to ask for the affidavits, and was told, "I'm sorry, but you can't pick those up until registration." Our children have been in this school system for 6 years. I work, but we live with my husband's mom because he is her full-time caregiver. When I asked why, she said, "I don't know: I'm new here, but it's just policy."

Those dreaded words - "just policy." It means they have no clue what the reason is, and they hope you won't press them further on it. I have tried so hard to be a part of my children's school lives. I have offered to work with the PTA. I have spoken to or emailed principals and offered assistance. I have filled out the form that the teachers send home every year where they ask for classroom help and have never had a return call. Not once in six years in this same school system.

I have more complaints, but I will just leave it at this. I hate being made to feel like an unwanted, unwashed heathen just because I do not own land in the city. I am just as much a citizen of this town as anyone else, and like it or not, I have a say. And if they have no clue why they have that policy, they need to sit down and review it so they can give people a decent explanation.