Woman arrested after trying to enrol at a US high school

A woman has been arrested in New York after allegedly trying to enrol at a local high school while posing as a homeless teenager.

Michaelann Goodrich, 32, was arrested on December 28 and charged with offering felony false information for filing, felony falsifying business records and misdemeanour criminal trespassing.

She allegedly tried to use the name Riley Madison and claimed she was 15 years old, according to Joe Rowell, a senior investigator with the Green County Sheriff’s Office.

Rowell explained Goodrich also attended classes at the Cairo-Durham School in New York on December 20 and rode the bus to and from school, reports PEOPLE.

The 32-year-old was sent to Green County Jail.

Goodrich was able to gain entry into the school through the McKinney-Vento Act, a federal law which requires that homeless teens be immediately admitted.

Parents are concerned about how easy it was for Goodrich to enrol, but District Superintendent Anthony Taibi said administrators immediately became concerned.

Investigators are still unsure why Goodrich tried to enrol in the school.

"She could've gone in numerous different ways to obtain a degree and we actually found out through the investigation and that she has a high school diploma," Rowell said.

"So that just leads to our investigation to try to figure out what exactly her motive was for attending school."

It’s unclear if Goodrich has entered a plea or retained a lawyer who could comment on her behalf.