HOMELESS CHILD’S RIGHT TO EDUCATION
When a child loses permanent housing and becomes a homeless person as defined by law, or when a homeless child changes his or her temporary living arrangements, the parent/guardian of the homeless child has the option of either:
- Continuing the child’s education in the school of origin for as long as the child remains homeless or, if the child becomes permanently housed, until the end of the academic year during which the housing is acquired; or
- Enrolling the child in any school that non-homeless students who live in the attendance area in which the child or youth is actually living are eligible to attend.
Aviston Elementary provides services and assistance according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. Lisa Niemeyer, Principal, is the homeless liaison.
The term “homeless children and youth” (A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and (B) includes –
(i) children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (doubled up); are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospital;
(ii) children and youth 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;
(iii) children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) thorough (iii).
Homeless children have the following student rights:
Immediate enrollment
Free lunch
All allowable fees waived
Assistance to obtain necessary records
Attend the school of origin
Services available include:
Tutoring and supplemental instructional support
Expedited evaluation and testing: Title 1, ELL, Spec. Ed.
Referrals to medical, dental, & other health services
Transportation
Early childhood
Before and after-school and summer school
Obtain and transfer records necessary for enrollment
Parent education
Coordination between schools and local services
Counseling and referrals for domestic violence issues
Needs due to domestic violence
School supplies
Emergency assistance to enable a student to attend school