McKinney-Vento

The McKinney-Vento Act ensures that children experiencing homelessness have access to the same free, appropriate public education and related services as their permanently housed peers so that they have an equal opportunity to meet the same challenging academic standards. The act requires State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to remove any barriers that limit the ability of a student experiencing homelessness to enroll, attend, and succeed in school.

New Hanover County Schools 

Please direct all questions about eligibility and services to:

NHCS McKinney-Vento Liaison:  Lisa Brenner

Liaison’s Email Address:  lisa.brenner@nhcs.net

Liaison’s Phone Number:  910-254-4337

NC Homeless Education Program – Lisa Phillips, State Coordinator – lphillip@serve.org

Schools must immediately enroll homeless children and youth, even when:

• School or health records are unavailable at the time of enrollment.
• Birth certificates are not available.
• Proof of residency is not available.
• Students may stay in their school of origin, if feasible.
• Unaccompanied youth must be provided educational access through the support of the local education liaison.
• Schools must provide written explanations of placement decisions and the enrollment dispute process.

Must schools enroll students experiencing homelessness who do not have previous schools records?

Yes. Students experiencing homelessness must be enrolled in school while waiting for the previous school records to be received. Parents can request copies of critical documents such as Individualized Educational Program (IEPs), gifted testing records, and report cards from the student's previous school. 

Can a school require proof of residency (rent / lease agreement, utility receipt) that prevents or delays enrollment?

No. Students experiencing homelessness, by definition, lack a fixed residence and cannot be required to provide traditional proof of residency.

Must a school enroll children or youth without proof of immunizations or physicals?

Yes. The school must enroll students who do not have health records if they fall under the definition of homeless. The school should refer the family or youth to the school's social worker or Lisa Brenner, LEA Liaison for McKinney-Vento, for assistance in obtaining the necessary documentation.  

Attendance and Success

Students with appropriate support are more likely to attend school on a regular basis. Attendance is critical in realizing success in school.

• Homeless students must receive services comparable to those of housed students.
• Transportation to the school of origin must be provided, when appropriate.
• Homeless families and unaccompanied youth must be fully informed of available enrollment options and educational opportunities.
• Separate schools or programs for homeless children and youth are prohibited, with the exceptions of several programs specifically named in the McKinney-Vento Act.
   

Educational Rights of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Information for Parents

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to

• Receive a free, appropriate public education.
• Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment, or having missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.
• Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
• Enroll in the local attendance area school or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is the parent's, guardian's, or unaccompanied youth's preference. If the school district believes the school selected is not in the student's best interest, then the district must provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth with a written explanation of its position and inform him/her of the right to appeal its decision.
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by the parent, guardian, or local liaison on behalf of an unaccompanied youth.
• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the student's need.

These rights are established under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act in December 2015. To qualify for these rights, children and youth must be considered homeless according to the  McKinney-Vento definition of homeless. 

North Carolina Homeless Education Program
https://hepnc.uncg.edu/

Number of students experiencing homelessness within New Hanover County Schools

If the parent/guardian/youth disagree on the McKinney-Vento eligibility and/or school placement, a process is in place to appeal the decision. Every state must establish procedures to promptly resolve disputes regarding the educational placement of students in transition.

If a student is denied eligibility or sent to a school other than the school of origin or the school requested by the parent or guardian, the LEA must provide the parent/guardian/youth with a written explanation of its decision and the right to appeal.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, a student in transition has the right to attend either the school of origin, if this is in the student's best interest, or the home school.

School of origin is defined as the school that the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. Home school is defined as any public school where non-homeless students who live in the attendance area where the child or youth is actually living are eligible to attend. School of origin includes Title 1 preschool, Special Education preschool, feeder schools (ESSA, 2016).

Whenever a dispute arises, the student must be enrolled immediately at the requested school and participate fully in all school activities while the dispute is being resolved. Upon resolution, the student would be immediately transferred to the original school placement if the dispute was denied.

The school must refer the student, parent, or guardian to the district McKinney-Vento specialist to carry out the dispute resolution process as expeditiously as possible.

Please refer to your school's liaison for the NHCS Dispute Process guidelines.