Definitions
A. Children and youth experiencing homelessness means individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; living in motels, parks or campgrounds; or children or youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a sleeping accommodation by human beings; or children or youth living in cars, abandoned buildings or substandard housing or similar situations or migratory children because they are living in circumstances like those described above. 鈥淪ubstandard housing鈥 may be determined by considering factors such as whether the setting in which the child or youth is living lacks water, electricity or heat; is infested with vermin or mold; lacks a working kitchen or toilet or presents unreasonable dangers to adults, children or persons with disabilities. Cities, counties and states have varying housing codes that further define housing deemed substandard by law.
B. Unaccompanied youth mean a youth not in the physical custody of a parent/guardian and includes youth living on their own in any of the homeless situations described in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act.
C. School of origin means the school or preschool that a child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. When a child or youth completes the final grade level served by the school of origin, the school of origin includes the designated receiving school at the next grade level for all feeder schools.
D. Best interest determination means that the district must make school placement decisions for students experiencing homelessness based on their best interest, as determined by student-centered factors including the impact of mobility on achievement, education, health and safety. Priority should be given to the request of the child or the parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth. Placement of siblings should also be considered.
E. Excess cost of transportation means the difference between what the district normally spends to transport a student to school and the cost of transporting a student experiencing homelessness to school. For example, there is no excess cost of transportation if the district provides transportation to a student experiencing homelessness by a regular bus route. However, if the district provides special transportation to a student experiencing homelessness that is not part of a regular bus route and not covered by the state transportation funding formula (e.g., summer school transportation, extracurricular activities, etc.), the entire cost would be considered excess costs of transportation. The additional cost of the district鈥檚 re-routing of buses to transport a student experiencing homelessness can be considered the excess cost of transportation. The district may use McKinney-Vento subgrant funds and Title I, Part A funds to defray excess cost of transportation for students experiencing homelessness.
Identification
The district will:
A. Use a housing questionnaire in its enrollment process. The questionnaire will be distributed universally to avoid stigmatizing children, youth and their families experiencing homelessness.
B. Ensure that referral forms used to identify and support students experiencing homelessness are accessible and easy to use.
C. Include the district鈥檚 homeless liaison鈥檚 contact information on its website.
D. Provide materials for students and parents/guardians experiencing homelessness, if necessary and to the extent feasible, in their native language.
E. As practicable, provide annual guidance for school staff on the definition of homelessness, signs of homelessness, the impact of homelessness on students and steps to take when a potentially student experiencing homelessness is identified, including how to connect the student with appropriate housing and support service providers.
F. Develop interagency partnerships to serve families and youths experiencing homelessness; and
G. Work with the state homelessness coordinator to facilitate services to families and youths made homeless by natural disasters or other catastrophic events.
Placement and Enrollment
The district will:
A. When deciding placement, presume that allowing the student experiencing homelessness to remain in their school of origin is in the student鈥檚 best interest, except when doing so is contrary to the request of the student鈥檚 parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth.
B. If the parent/guardian contests the district鈥檚 decision, make a best interest determination based on factors such as the impact of mobility on the student鈥檚 educational achievement, health and safety. If the best interest determination is requested by an unaccompanied youth, the process will give priority to the views of the youth.
C. After conducting a best interest determination, provide the parent/guardian of the student in a timely manner and in a language they can understand, a written explanation of the final decision and the right to appeal the decision.
D. Pending resolution of disputes that arise over eligibility, school selection or enrollment, immediately enroll a student experiencing homelessness in the school in which the parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth seeks enrollment.
E. Avoid delay or denial of enrollment of a student experiencing homelessness, even if they have missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness or are unable to produce records required for enrollment (e.g., previous academic records, immunization records, health records, proof of residency, proof of guardianship, birth certificates).
F. Avoid requirements for student contact information to be in a form or manner that creates a barrier for a student experiencing homelessness.
G. Provide transportation for students experiencing homelessness to their school or preschool of origin. Once the student has obtained permanent housing, the district will continue to provide such transportation until the end of the academic year. If the student experiencing homelessness remains in their school of origin but begins living in an area served by another district, the district of origin and the district in which the student experiencing homelessness is living must agree upon a method to apportion the responsibility and costs for the student鈥檚 transportation to and from their school of origin. If the districts cannot reach agreement, the responsibility and costs for transportation will be shared equally.
H. Continue to provide transportation to their school of origin pending the outcome of enrollment or transportation disputes.
I. Immediately contact the school last attended by the student experiencing homelessness to obtain relevant academic and other records.
District Homeless Liaison
The district liaison will ensure that:
A. Children and youth experiencing homelessness are identified by school personnel and through coordination of activities with other entities and agencies.
B. Children and youth experiencing homelessness enroll in and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school.
C. Children, youth and families experiencing homelessness receive educational services for which such families, children and youths are eligible, including Head Start and Even Start programs and preschool programs administered by the district and referrals to health care services, dental services, mental health services and other appropriate services.
D. Students experiencing homelessness are identified and provided with proper access to free school meals.
E. The parents/guardians of children and youths experiencing homelessness are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
F. Public notice of the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness is disseminated where such children receive services (e.g., schools, family shelters, soup kitchens).
G. Enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with the Placement and Enrollment section above; and
H. The parent/guardian of a child or youth experiencing homelessness, and any unaccompanied youth, is fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school of origin and is assisted in accessing transportation to the school selected.
I. Unaccompanied youths are enrolled in school, have opportunities to meet the same challenging state academic standards as the state establishes for other children and youths, are informed of their status as independent students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1087vv) for federal student aid purposes and their right to receive verification of this status from the local liaison.
J. Barriers that prevent students experiencing homelessness from receiving credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed while attending a prior school are identified and removed.
K. Affirm whether students experiencing homelessness meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of homelessness to qualify them for HUD homeless assistance programs and refer families and students experiencing homeless to housing and other services.
L. Assist parents/guardians and unaccompanied youth in obtaining immunizations, health screenings, guardianship records and other documents normally required for enrollment; and
M. Assist unaccompanied youths in connecting with needed support such as housing assistance, health care and other services.
The district will inform school personnel, service providers and advocates working with families experiencing homelessness of the duties of the district homeless liaison.