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  • McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

    McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and education stability for homeless children and youth. The term “homeless children and youth” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason. Students who are homeless are not required to provide proof of residency before enrolling. 

    Homeless Definition

    The McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program is the federal program that removes barriers to education for children and youth experiencing homelessness. McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless: means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes:

    • 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 alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters
    • 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
    • children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
    • migratory children

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    Eligible Students Have the Right To

    • Recieve a free, appropriate public educaiton.
    • Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
    • Enroll in school and attend classess while the school gathers nneeded documents.
    • Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school of origin if that is your preference.
    • Receive transporation to and from the school of origin, if requested.
    • Receive educational services compariable to those provided to other students, according to the student's needs.

    Homeless Liaison

    Every campus, designates a professional staff person as a liaison for students in homeless situations. Liaisons must ensure that:

    • Children and youth in homeless situations are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies.
    • Students enroll in, and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in  school
    • Families, children, and youth receive educational services for which they are eligible, including Head Start, Even Start, and pre-school programs, and referrals to health, mental health, dental, and other appropriate services.
    • Parents or guardians are informed of educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.
    • Public notice of the educational rights of students in homeless situations is disseminated where children and youth receive services under the Act.
    • Enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with the Enrollment Disputes section of the McKinney-Vento Act.
    • Parents and guardians and unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, including to the school of origin, and are assisted in accessing transportation services.
    • Liaisons must assist children and youth who do not have immunizations or immunization or medical records to obtain necessary immunizations or immunization or medical records.
    • Liaisons must help unaccompanied youth choose and enroll in a school, after considering the youths' wishes, and provide youth with notice of their right to appeal an enrollment decision that is not their choice.
    • Liaisons must ensure that unaccompanied youth are immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of disputes that might arise over school enrollment or placement.
    • Liaisons must ensure enrollment conferences are convened for students who are homeless within the first 2 weeks at their new school OR within 2 weeks after the student is identified as homeless.
     
  • Tomas TamezT. Tamez

    Director of Parent and Family Engagement & Student Engagement      
    Email: ttamez@donnaisd.net

    Ph: (956) 461-4231 

     

    Maria Orozco

    Student Engagement Specialist      
    Email: maria.orozco@donnaisd.net

    Ph: (956) 461-4231 

  • The purpose of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is to identify and remove barriers for children and youth experiencing homelessness and ensure that students in these circumstances have equitable access to all available support, resources, and meet the same challenging state academic standards established for all students.