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I've read of cases where a kid who lives in a town with bad public schools will register at the address of someone such as his uncle, in a nearby town, and go to school there. If they're caught out, the position of the recipient town is that the kid has to actually live there -- the uncle has to be a guardian in fact, and not just on paper -- or the kid is not allowed to continue in said school. This is in Massachusetts, with people who are all US citizens.

It would seem that if there's a residency requirement, it would allow a town to refuse admission to those who are not residents. Of course, the town might have to spend a little money on a private investigator (or maybe town employee) who will follow kids home and document where they've gone. That's likely cheaper than schooling the nonresidents, unless there are perverse incentives (such as school aid from a state which itself cares little about such details as whether the children are actually living in the state).

It would seem that if there's a residency requirement

Enforcing residency requirements can be impossible and can land the district in court right away. I find that so long as the kids don't try and enroll in the good schools, their status tends to get ignored.

“... a kid ... will register at the address of someone such as his uncle ...”

Until recently in the South this was done most often so that the child could play sports at the “powerhouse” high school or for a coach with a reputation for grooming future college scholarship recipients.