Mckinney-Vento Act

Our goal is to identify homeless students in our district and to remove all barriers to education.  

Barriers can include records for enrollment (birth certificate, immunizations, school records), fees for registration, classes, sports, or school-related activities, transportation, etc.  

MCKINNEY-VENTO DEFINITION OF HOMELESS 42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2) 

The term “homeless children and youth”— 

A. means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and 

B. includes — 

i. children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of adequate alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals; 

ii. children and youths 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 youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and 

iv. migratory children…who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in the circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

Students who are identified under McKinney-Vento have the following rights:

1. Receive a free, appropriate public education. 

2. Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking the documents normally required for enrollment or having missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.

3. Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.

4. Continue attending the school of origin, or enroll in the local attendance area school if attending the school of origin is not in the best interest of the student or is contrary to the request of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth.

5. Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by the parent or guardian, or by the local liaison on behalf of an unaccompanied youth.

6. Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to each student’s needs.

7. Full participation in school-related or extracurricular activities.

If you need further assistance or information, please contact our District Homeless Liaison, April Reiman, at areiman@cusd17.com or 618-893-4031.