Homeless/Displaced Services
The Homeless Education Program
The mission of the Homeless Education Program is to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to a free, appropriate public education, comparable to that provided to the children of any Arizona resident and consistent with Arizona’s mandatory school attendance laws.
Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) is included in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The reauthorization requires that children and youths experiencing homelessness are immediately enrolled in school and have educational opportunities equal to those of their non-homeless peers. The statute requires every public school district and charter holder to designate a Homeless Liaison to ensure that homeless students are identified and their needs are being met.
In order to supplement services to these children and youths, the U.S. Department of Education provides funding for state and local activities. These dollars are allocated to the local education agencies through a competitive grant process, based on need and program quality.
What is the McKinney-Vento Act?
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:
Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters
Children and youth abandoned in hospitals
Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)
Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations
For more information, parents of students experiencing homelessness, please contact your school secretary.
Homeless Education Policy
Eligibility is based on the current primary nighttime residence based on one of the following living situations:
• In a shelter, motel, vehicle or campground
• On the street
• In an abandoned building, trailer or other inadequate accommodations
• Doubled up with friends or relatives because you cannot find or afford housing
School-aged children have certain rights or protections under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. Children have the right to:
• Go to school, no matter where you live or how long you have lived there. They must be given access to the same public education provided to other children.
• The district will ensure that your children are not stigmatized based on their homeless status.
• Continue in the school they attended before you became homeless or the school they last attended, if that is your choice and it is feasible.
If a school sends your child to a school other than the one you request, the school must provide you with a written explanation and offer you the right to appeal the decision.
• Receive transportation to the school they attended before your family became homeless or the school they last attended, if you or a guardian requests such transportation.
• Attend and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless. Children cannot be separated from the regular school program because they are homeless.
• Enroll in school without giving a permanent address. Schools cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrollment.
• Enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records or any other documents required for enrollment.
• Enroll and attend classes in the school of your choice even while the school and you seek to resolve a dispute over enrolling your children.
• Receive the same special programs and services, if needed, as provided to all other children served in these programs.
• Receive transportation to school and school programs.
Please contact Jami Ramsay with any questions. Local Area Contacts: Jami Ramsay, Federal Programs Director, Homeless Liaison, Show Low Unified School District, 928-537-6038.
State Coordinator for Homeless Education, Arizona Department of Education, 602-542-4963.
Mandatory district training video for all staff