Homeless Students

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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act (Title IX, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act) defines homeless children and youth as “children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence” and includes:

  • Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels or camping grounds due to the lack of adequate, alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
  • 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 humans;
  • Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations or similar settings; and
  • Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

 

Student Rights Under The Law

Students who are experiencing homelessness have the right to receive educational services that provide full and equal opportunities to succeed in school. Homeless students have the right to immediate enrollment in school, even if they do not have proof of residence or any other required school or health records. If any required documentation is missing, it can be obtained after the student is enrolled. Homeless students have, to the extent feasible, the right to remain in their school of origin and to receive transportation services.

Student Services Under The Law

All homeless education assistance services are school-based. The FSSD has a Homeless Education Coordinator who will ensure that these services are provided. Many services are available based on student needs. In addition to transportation, these services include but are not limited to:
1.    Assistance with enrollment and transfer of records
2.    Automatic participation in our federal nutrition program
3.    School supplies such as paper, pencils, books, backpacks
4.    Special project supplies
5.    Academic support through Title I
6.    Hygiene supplies
7.    Summer reading material
8.    Referrals to other agencies that provide services to students
9.    Anything else a homeless child needs to help them get through the school day

 

Student Services We Can’t Provide

Although we will make every effort to help homeless students in any way we can, by law, our McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Program is unable to provide the following resources:
1.    Rent assistance
2.    Utilities assistance
3.    Money to pay bills
4.    Money to pay the cost of hotel/motel or campground fees
5.    Housing
 

If you or someone you know is a student experiencing homelessness, please contact the FSSD Homeless Liaison or your school immediately for assistance.

Federal Programs
Pax Wiemers, Ed.D., Supervisor
507 New Highway 96 West
Franklin, TN  37064
615-794-6624 (office)​