from the website of one of my district’s public schools (we are in-district but are not zoned for):

We are extremely conscientious and strict about address verification. Your zoned school is where your child’s primary residence is. It is not an apartment you own or rent but do not reside in at the time of application/registration or your place of employment. It is not a temporary apartment you have rented for a few months with the intention of registering your child at PS xx. These are all prohibited by Chancellor’s Regulations. We are scrupulous in address verification due to the fact that over the last few years we have had many more applicants than seats available and we must retain the integrity of the process for legitimately zoned families. We retain the right to do address investigations and abide by the results of those investigations.