Homeless Students

Who is Homeless?

Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, you are considered homeless if you live in any of the following:

• Sharing housing (doubled up) with family or friends due to economic or other hardship reasons
• In a shelter, transitional living program, hotel/motel, or campground
• On the street, in a car, in an abandoned building or other inadequate accommodations

If you have questions about any of this information, believer you qualify as homeless, or know of someone who does, please contact Kevin Lewandowski at lewandowski@arrowheadschools.org

Rights of Homeless Children and Youth

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act ensures that all homeless children and youth, school-age and preschool-age, have the right to a free appropriate public education without barriers.  In particular, homeless children and youth have the right to:

• attend school, regardless of where they live (i.e. shelter, hotel)
• remain at the school they attended before becoming homeless (school of origin) when it is in his/her best interest and when it is the choice of the parent/guardian.  If a parent/guardian’s choice is not honored, they must be notified, in writing, of this decision and the reason for the decision.  Parent/guardians have the right to appeal a decision that is against their wishes.
• receive transportation back to the school of origin or the school last attended before becoming homeless, if requested by parent/guardian.
• enroll in school without delay, even if do not have documents normally required for enrollment, such as school transcripts, medical records, and immunization records.
• enroll in school without providing a permanent address and without proof of residency.
• enroll and attend the school of choice, even during the dispute resolution or appeal process.
• attend a school and participate in school activities and programs with children and youth who are not homeless.  Homeless children and youth must not be segregated.
• receive the same access to special programs (special education, At-Risk, Gifted and Talented, etc.) as non-homeless children and youth.

Services Available to Homeless Children and Youth:

In order to remove barriers to education, a number of services are available to homeless children and youth.  These services include:

• transportation
• school nutrition programs
• tutorial programs
• enrollment assistance
• ESL services
• translation services
• school health services
• Title I services and programs
• special education programs/programs for students with disabilities
• vocational and technical programs
• alternative and At risk Programs
• gifted and talented programs
• referral to social services agencies that can assist homeless families with basic needs.

Resources and Information on Homelessness

IMPACT
Resources Hotline for Families
(414) 773-0211 or 211
Website: http://www.impactinc.org/impact-2-1-1/coordinated-entry-for-homeless-services/          

Department of Public Instruction State Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Phone: (855)235-0185
Fax: (608)267-9142
Website: http://dpi.wi.gov/homeless

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
phone:  (952) 945-0228
fax:  (952) 9526
e-mail:  info@naehcy.org
Website: http://www.naehcy.org/                                                                                             

National Center for Homeless Education
Helpline: 1(800)308-2145
Website: http://center.serve.org/nche/
Homeless Basics