5110.1
Policy
Students
Homeless Students
This
A “homeless children” for purposes of this
Policy is a child who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,
as defined by applicable federal and state law related to homeless students. An
“unaccompanied youth” is a child who is not in the physical custody of a parent
or guardian.
1.
Homeless Coordinator:
The District’s designated Homeless Coordinator is the Superintendent. The Homeless Coordinator may delegate the
specified duties as the Homeless Coordinator determines to be appropriate. The
Homeless Coordinator shall serve as the school liaison for homeless children
and youth.
a.
Responsibilities. The responsibilities of the Homeless
Coordinator are to assist with identification, enrollment, and placement of
homeless children and to provide staff development activities to all school
personnel regarding the educational rights and needs of homeless children and
youth. The Homeless Coordinator shall ensure
that:
i. homeless children are
identified by school personnel;
ii. homeless children
enroll in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in, school;
iii. homeless children and
their families receive educational service for which they are eligible and
referrals to health, dental, and mental health services and other appropriate
services;
iv. the parents or
guardians of homeless children are informed of the educational and related
opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful
opportunities to participate in the education of their children;
v. public notice of the
educational rights of homeless children is disseminated where such children
receive services under the federal homeless children laws, such as schools,
family shelters, and soup kitchens;
vi. enrollment disputes
are mediated in accordance with law; and
vii. the parents or
guardians of homeless children, and any unaccompanied youth, are fully informed
of transportation services available under law.
b.
Coordination. The Homeless Coordinator shall coordinate
with State coordinators and community and school personnel responsible for the
provisions of education and related services to homeless children. Coordination
activities with area shelters and other homeless service providers are to be
established by the Homeless Coordinator.
c.
Financial. The Homeless Coordinator shall ensure that
financial records are maintained to show expenditures are for authorized
activities. Title I, Part A homeless
set-aside funds are also to be used for services for homeless children. Materials
and equipment purchased with grant funds are properly identified and
inventoried.
d.
Program Activities. The
Homeless Coordinator shall design program activities to meet the greatest need
as determined by the District and homeless service providers.
e.
Documentation. The Homeless Coordinator shall document the
number of homeless children and youth receiving services.
f.
Student Records. The
Homeless Coordinator shall ensure that any record ordinarily kept related to
students, including immunization or medical records, academic records, birth
certificates, guardianship records, and evaluations for special services or
programs, are be maintained so that the records of a homeless child are available,
in a timely fashion, when the child enters a new school or school district and
in a manner consistent with the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act.
2.
Enrollment and Placement of Homeless Children: The enrollment and placement of homeless
children shall be in compliance with federal and state law.
a.
Enrollment. A homeless child shall be immediately
enrolled even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for
enrollment. Lack of previous school records, immunization and medical records,
birth certificate, or other documentation from the previous school will not
delay the enrollment of a homeless child or youth. Guardianship issues, uniform
or dress code requirements, and residency requirements will not be obstacles to
delay or deny enrollment. The District may nonetheless require the parent or
guardian of the homeless child to submit contact information.
b.
Obtaining Records. The District shall immediately contact the
school last attended by the homeless child to obtain relevant academic and
other records. If the homeless child
needs to obtain immunizations or medical records, the District shall
immediately refer the parent or guardian of the homeless child to the Homeless
Coordinator, who shall assist in obtaining necessary immunizations or medical
records.
c.
Placement. Placement
decisions for a homeless child shall be made according to the District’s
determination of the child’s best interests.
i. The placement shall
be at either:
1.
The
child’s “school of origin,” which is the school that the child attended when
permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled; or
2.
The
school of the attendance area in which the child is actually living.
ii. If placed in the
school of origin, the placement shall continue for the duration of the child’s
homelessness. If the child becomes permanently housed (no longer homeless)
during the school year the placement in the school of origin will be continued
for the remainder of that school year.
iii. To the extent
feasible the placement shall be in the school of origin except when such is
contrary to the wishes of the homeless child’s parent or legal guardian. If the
placement is not in the school of origin or a school requested by the homeless
child’s parent or legal guardian, the District shall provide a written
explanation of the placement decision and a statement of appeal rights to the
parent or guardian.
iv. If the homeless child
is an unaccompanied youth, the Homeless Coordinator shall assist in the placement
decision, consider the views of the unaccompanied youth, and provide the
unaccompanied youth with notice of the right to appeal.
v. The grade placement
for the homeless child will be the appropriate grade level as determined by the
building principal or designee using the same procedures that are used for
placing non-homeless children attending that school.
3.
Educational Services and Stigmatization or Segregation: It is the
District’s policy that homeless children not be stigmatized or segregated on
the basis of their status as homeless.
Homeless children will be provided the same free, appropriate public
education as other students. Homeless students will be provided services comparable
to services offered to other students in the school in which the homeless child
has been placed, including the following: transportation services, educational
services for which the student meets the eligibility criteria, such as services
provided under Title I, educational programs for children with disabilities,
and educational programs for students with limited English proficiency,
programs in vocational and technical education, programs for gifted and
talented students, and school nutrition programs.
4.
Transportation: Transportation will be provided to homeless
students to the extent required by law.
a.
Comparable Service. Transportation will be provided to a
homeless student comparable to that provided to students who are not homeless.
b.
c.
Eliminate Barriers. Transportation will be provided when
necessary to eliminate barriers to school enrollment and the retention of
students experiencing homelessness.
5.
Dispute Resolution. The process to resolve disputes concerning
the enrollment or placement of a homeless child is as follows:
a.
The
homeless child and the parent, guardian or other person having legal or actual
charge or control of the homeless child shall be referred to the Homeless
Coordinator. The Homeless Coordinator shall carry out the dispute resolution
process as expeditiously as possible after receiving notice of the dispute. The dispute resolution process is as follows:
i. The homeless child
and parent/guardian will submit a written dispute statement to the Homeless
Coordinator. The District’s Dispute Resolution Form shall be used if such is
available.
ii. When it is determined
that additional information would be helpful, the Homeless Coordinator will
schedule a meeting within 10 days, or such time as practicable, at which the
homeless child and parent/guardian will be given the opportunity to provide
information in support of their position.
iii. The Homeless
Coordinator will contact school officials and others as determined appropriate
to obtain information to corroborate the information provided in support of the
positions of the homeless child and parent/guardian and the District.
iv. The Homeless
Coordinator will provide a written response and explanation of a decision
regarding the dispute within 30 calendar days after receiving the dispute
statement.
v. The written response
and explanation of the decision will include a notice of the right appeal using
the appeal process provided for in Nebraska Department of Education Rules 19.
b.
In
the event of an enrollment dispute, the homeless child’s placement shall be at
the school in which enrollment is sought pending resolution of the dispute in
accordance with the dispute resolution process.
In the case of an unaccompanied youth, the homeless liaison shall ensure
that the youth is immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of the
dispute.
Legal
Reference: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-215
Nebraska
Department of Education Rule 19
McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act, 42 USC §§11431, et seq.
Date
of Adoption: August 20, 2007
STUDENTS Homeless Policy No. 5110.1
HEP Form 1
Homeless Education Program
HOMELESS STUDENT ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
& PLACEMENT REQUEST
Child’s Name: ___________________________________ Birth Date:_________ Grade_____
(Last Name) (First
Name) (M.I.)
Parent/Guardian
Name_____________________________ Unaccompanied Youth___________
(Last Name) (First Name) (M.I.) (“Yes” or “No”)
Current Address
_______________________________________________________________
Telephone
Number:_____________________________________________________________
(If phone
# not available, phone number of someone who can be contacted and their
relationship, if any).
Information provided
on this form is confidential.
1.
Homeless Status
a.
Do
you live in any of these following situations?
____ sharing the housing of other persons due to
loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (example: evicted from home, cannot afford housing,
etc.)
____ in a motel, hotel, campground or similar
setting due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations
____ in emergency or transitional shelters such
as domestic violence or homeless shelters or transitional housing shelter or
agency
____
have a primary nighttime residence
that is a place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
accommodation for humans
____ in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned
buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
____ None of the above.
b.
How
long do you anticipate living in current location? ______________________
2.
School Most Recently Attended
School:
_________________________________________________________________
(School
Name) (City) (State)
Dates of
Attendance:_________ to ______________
Grade
level when last attended: _____
3.
Eligible for any of these educational and school related
activities and services?
□ Special Education (IDEA) If yes, please identify
disability and special education services previously provided :_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
□ English Language Learners (ELL) □
Gifted □ Vocational
Education
□
Other_____________________________________________
4.
Possible Barriers to Education
□ No Birth Certificate □ No immunizations or other medical records
□ No School Records □ Transportation □
School Selection
□ Other
issues/barriers_____________________________________________
5.
Requested Services and Activities to be Provided by Homeless
Student Program
□
Obtaining or transferring records necessary for enrollment
□
Emergency assistance related to school attendance
□
Expedited evaluations
□
Transportation □ Clothing to meet
a school requirement □ School
supplies
□
Early childhood program □ Tutoring
or other instructional support
□
Before/after-school, mentoring, summer programs
□
Referrals for medical, dental, or other health services
□
Referral to other programs/services
□
Assistance with participation in school programs
□
Parent education related to rights/resources
□
Coordination between schools and agencies
□
Counseling □ Addressing needs
related to domestic violence
□
Staff professional development/awareness
□
Other ____________________
6.
Placement
a.
School
placement requested by parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth:
__________________________________________________________________
b.
Reason(s)
for Request: _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
c.
Name
of “School of Origin”___________________________________________
(School
of Origin means the school that the child attended when permanently housed or
the school in which the child was last enrolled).
Enrollment
Date________________
Has
student been withdrawn?__________
If so,
what was the withdraw date?_________
d.
Distance from:
i. Residence to the
school of origin (miles): ___________
ii. Residence to the
school requested (if not school of origin): ____________
______________________________________________
________________________
Parent or Guardian or
Unaccompanied Youth’s signature Date
Children living in
homeless situations have certain rights under the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act under No Child Left Behind.
Please contact the Homeless Coordinator with any questions.
STUDENTS
Homeless Policy No.
5110.1
HEP Form 2
WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF
ENROLLMENT/PLACEMENT DECISION FOR HOMELESS STUDENT
Child’s Name:
___________________________
In compliance with the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act, the following written notification is provided to:
Parent/Guardian
_____________________________Unaccompanied Youth________________
( Name)
(Name)
After reviewing your request to enroll the child,
the determinations are as follows:
Homeless
student program eligibility:
_________ Child does
not qualify under the homeless student program.
_________
Child qualifies under the homeless student program. This determination was
based upon: ____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Placement (if enrolled under
the homeless student program) was made based on best interest of the student.
The placement will be at:
______________________________________________
(
Name)
Explanation for this determination (if not
school of origin or the choice of parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth, give
detail): _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you are not satisfied with the
determinations, you have the right to use the dispute resolution process. Contact the Homeless Coordinator and complete
a Dispute Resolution Form.
Notices:
Education Specialist & Homeless
Education / NCLB Programs
Nebraska Department of Education
http://www.education.ne.gov/federalprograms/Title%20X.html
Telephone: (402) 471-1419 Facsimile: (402) 742-2371
______________________________________________
________________________
Administrator Date
Written Notification Form was given to
parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth on _________________ (Date).
STUDENTS Homeless Policy No.
5110.1
HEP Form 3
Homeless Education Program
DISPUTE RESOLUTION FORM
This form
should be completed when a dispute arises over school enrollment/placement.
Child’s Name: ___________________________
Person completing
form: _________________________________________________________
( Name) (Relation
to Student)
I may be contacted
at (address/phone/e-mail): ________________________________________
I wish to dispute the
following decision: _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The decision I am
disputing was wrong because (give detailed information in support of your
position and use an attachment if necessary): _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Persons who have information to support my position (include contact
information): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I request that the
following action be taken on this dispute: ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
________________________
Parent or Guardian or Unaccompanied Youth’s
signature Date
-------------------------------------------------For
School Use------------------------------------------------
Date received by Homeless Coordinator
________________
----------------------------------Determination
of Homeless Coordinator-------------------------------
In compliance with the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act, the following written notification is provided to:
Parent/Guardian
_____________________________Unaccompanied Youth________________
( Name)
(Name)
After reviewing the information relevant to your
dispute my determination is as follows:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Explanation for this determination: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notice of Right to Appeal: If you are not satisfied with the
determination on this dispute, you have the right to appeal as provided for in the
Nebraska Department of Education Rule 19. The appeal is to be filed with the Commissioner
of Education within 30 calendar days of receipt of this decision. For
information about an appeal you may contact the state coordinator:
Education Specialist & Homeless
Education / NCLB Programs
Nebraska Department of Education
http://www.education.ne.gov/federalprograms/Title%20X.html
Telephone: (402) 471-1419 Facsimile: (402) 471-0117
______________________________________________
________________________
Administrator Date
The Determination of the Homeless Coordinator
on this dispute was given to parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth on
_________________ (Date).