HomeMy WebLinkAboutAP 1002.1.1 Homeless Students - McKinney-Vento
Homeless Students Board Policy
Board Policy 1002.0 – Attendance
1002.1.1 - Homeless Students
The Idaho Falls School District 91 recognizes its obligation to ensure that homeless students
have access to the same educational programs and services provided to other district
students. The District shall make reasonable efforts to identify homeless children within the
district, encourage their enrollment, and eliminate existing barriers to their attendance and
education, in compliance with federal and state law and regulations. Refer to Administrative
Procedures 1002.1.1
McKinney- Vento Homeless Procedures
Homeless students are defined as unaccompanied youth and/or any school
age individual lacking a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence, which
include the following conditions:
1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing or
economic hardship.
2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping ground s due to lack
of alternative adequate accommodations.
3. Living in emergency, transitional or domestic violence shelters.
4. Abandoned in hospitals.
5. Awaiting foster care placement.
6. Living in public or private places not designed for or ordinarily use d
as regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.
7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings,
substandard housing, transportation stations or similar settings.
8. Living as migratory children in conditions described in previous
examples.
9. Living as run -away children.
10. Abandoned or forced out of homes by parents/guardians or
caretakers.
11. Living as school age unwed mothers in houses for unwed mothers if
they have no other living accommodations.
Identification
The District shall provide public notice of the educational rights of homeless
students in schools, family shelters, and soup kitchens. The Director of Student Achievement &
School Improvement (SASI) appoints and oversees the district’s homeless liaison. In order to
id entify homeless children and unaccompanied homeless youth both in and out of school, the
District Liaison coordinates with school personnel, community service agencies, local shelters,
the state coordinator and others to help provide services to homeless children and homeless
unaccompanied youth. In addition, the liaison provides annual awareness trainings to all school
personnel. The Liaison coordinates with other districts on issues of records transfer and
transportation.
Students may be identified by:
a) Self -reporting. A family or student may notify school counselor or teacher
and report their living situation; or upon enrollment they will report their situation to the school
registrar.
b) Referrals from other school districts.
c) Local agencies that provide services to homeless children and youth and
families.
d) Identified by the school counselor or other school staff.
Data will be collected on the number of children and youth experiencing
homelessness in the district; where they are living; their academic
achievement (including state and local assessments); and school transfers.
School Determination
When determining the school enrollment of a student experiencing homelessness, the decision
will be based on the best interest of the student an d the request of the student’s parent or
guardian or the student if an unaccompanied youth. To the extent feasible, the student will be
enrolled or continue enrollment in the school of origin while she/he remains homeless or until
the end of the academic year in which she/he obtains permanent housing . The school of origin
defined as the last school in which the student was enrolled or the school last attended by the
student when permanently ho used.
Eligibility and placement decisions are made collaboratively with input from the parent, guardian
or unaccompanied youth, principal, school counselor, homeless liaison and any other person(s)
familiar with the student and the homeless situation.
Enrollment/Placement
The selected school shall immediately enroll the student and begin instruction,
even if the student is unable to produce records normally required for
enrollment. However, the District may require a parent/guardian to submit
contact in formation. The District Homeless Director or Liaison may contact the
previous school for oral confirmation of immunizations, and the school shall
request records from the previous District.
Students shall not be discriminated against, segregated nor stigma tized based
on their status as homeless.
Transportation
Homeless students will be provided transportation services comparable those
offered to housed students. The District shall provide transportation for
homeless students to their school of origin or th e school they choose to attend
within the school district. If the school of origin is outside district boundaries
or homeless students live in another district but will attend their school of
origin in this district, the school districts shall agree upon a method to
apportion the responsibility and costs of the transportation.
Services
Homeless students shall be provided services comparable to those offered to
other District students including, but not limited to, transportation services;
school nutrition programs; vocational programs and technical education;
programs for students with limited English proficiency; and educational
services for which students meet eligibility criteria, such as programs for
disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, a nd gifted and talented
students. Homeless students are automatically eligible for Title I services, regardless of what
school they attend. Barriers will be removed that prevent h omeless secondary students “from
receiving appropriate credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed while
attending a prior school, in accordance with State, local, and school policies.” Title X Sec.
9102 Sec. 722 Unaccompanied youth are informed of their status as independent students for
the FAFSA and receive verification of that status along with college/career counseling.
Disputes
If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment, the student shall be
immediately enrolled in the school in which enrollment is so ught, pending
resolution of the dispute. The parents/guardians or unaccompanied youth shall be given
opportunity to participate in the resolution. They will be provided with a written explanation
of the District's decision, their right to appeal and the procedures to use for the appeal.
Free Meals
The Child Nutrition office will be provided the name of the homeless student
immediately upon enrollment.
Records
Any record ordinarily kept by the school regarding each homeless child shall be maintained, so
they are available, in a timely fashion when the student enters a new school or district, and in a
manner consistent with FERPA applicable Idaho Law and district policy.
Adopted: 06/28/2011 Revised: 10/29/2014
Revised: 02/0 4/2021