Mt. Olive CUSD # 5 McKinney-Vento Act General Summary

The McKinney-Vento Act provides rights and services to children and youth experiencing housing hardships, which includes those who are: sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; staying in motels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to the lack of an adequate alternative; staying in shelters or transitional housing; or sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or similar settings.

School Stability:

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness can remain in their school of origin for the duration of homelessness and until the end of an academic year in which they obtain permanent housing, if it is in their best interest.

• LEAs must make best interest determinations that presume that staying in the school of origin is in the best interest of the child or youth; consider specific student-centered factors; prioritize the wishes of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth; and include a written explanation and right to appeal if the LEA determines that school stability is not in the best interest of the child or youth.

· The definition of school of origin now includes both the designated receiving school at the next grade level (if there is a feeder school pattern), and preschools.

· Transportation to the school of origin is required, including until the end of the academic year when a student obtains permanent housing.

School Enrollment and Participation:

• Homeless children and youth must be enrolled in school immediately, even if they lack documents or have missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness

• SEAs and LEAs must develop, review, and revise policies to remove barriers to the identification, enrollment, and retention of homeless students in school, including barriers due to fees, fines, and absences.

• If a dispute arises over eligibility, school selection or enrollment, the child or youth must be immediately enrolled in the school in which the parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth seeks enrollment, pending resolution of the dispute, including all available appeals.

• States must have procedures to ensure that homeless children and youth do not face barriers to accessing academic and extracurricular activities.