V-42: Services for Homeless Students

North Sanpete School District
Statement of .............

Board Policy with Guidelines

Policy Number: V-42
Effective Date: 08/09/2004
Revised Date:

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Subject: Services for Homeless Students 

BOARD POLICY

The district shall serve homeless children according to their best interests. The District shall adopt policies and practices to ensure that homeless children are not stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their homeless status.

DEFINITIONS

In determining the "best interest" of a child, the District shall:

1. To the extent feasible, keep a homeless child in the school of origin, except when doing so is contrary to the wishes of the child's parent or guardian;
2. Provide a written explanation to the homeless child's parent or guardian, including a statement of appeal rights, if the District sends the child to a school other than the school of origin or a school requested by the parent or guardian; and
3. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, consider the views of the child and provide the notice required in the event of an enrollment dispute.

Enrollment:  "Enroll" and "enrollment" include attending classes and participating fully in school activities.

Homeless Child: "Homeless child" means a child or youth. A child is 'homeless," under the McKinney Vento Homeless Education Act, if the child lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes:

1. Children who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
2. Children who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
3. Children who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
4. Migratory children living in circumstances described above. "Migratory child" means a child who is, or whose parent, spouse, or guardian is, a migratory agricultural worker, including a migratory dairy worker, or a migratory fisher, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain, or accompany such parent, spouse, or guardian in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work:
5. Has moved from one school district to another; or
6. Resides in a school district and migrates a distance of 20 miles or more to a temporary residence to engage in a fishing activity.

Unaccompanied Youth: "Unaccompanied youth" means a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, who is homeless ads defined above.

School of Origin: "School of origin" means the school that the child attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled.

GUIDELINES

The District shall designate an appropriate staff person as a District liaison for homeless children. The District shall inform school personnel, service providers, and advocates working with homeless families for the duties of the liaison. The liaison shall ensure that:

1. Homeless children are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies;
2. Homeless children enroll in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in, District schools;
3. Homeless families and children receive educational services for which they are eligible, including educational programs for disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and gifted and talented students; vocational programs and technical education; programs for students with limited English proficiency; school meals programs; Head Start and District preschool programs; before- and after-school care;
4. Enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act; and
5. The parent or guardian of a homeless child, and any unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school or origin, and are assisted in accessing transportation to the school of enrollment.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The District may require the parent or guardian of a homeless child to submit contact information.

ENROLLMENT

The school selected in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act shall immediately enroll a homeless child even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment. The school shall immediately contact the last school attended to obtain relevant academic and other records. If the child needs to obtain immunizations, or immunization or medical records, the enrolling school shall immediately refer the child's parent.