• Enrollment of Students under McKinney-Vento Act 

    School level administrator, clerical staff, and enrollment officers have been provided the McKinney-Vento Guidelines for identifying homeless students. During initial enrollment, information is gathered to determine the family’s or youth’s living situation (Student Residency Questionnaire). If the questionnaire review indicates that the family or youth living conditions qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act, the student will be enrolled immediately. The principal or school official will follow the Enrollment procedures outlined. The Homeless Liaison will provide the family or youth available resources to assist with the current situation. 

    If there is a dispute regarding the homeless child or youth, the dispute will be promptly resolved according to the provisions of Policy JBCCA – Assignment of Pupils. Other issues or disputes will be directed to the attention of the school official responsible for that particular matter for prompt resolutions. If this dispute cannot be resolved locally, any aggrieved party may make a written request for a review of the matter, the State Homeless Liaison. The complaint should be submitted in writing to the Mississippi Department of Education, Federal Programs Office, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, MS. 39205.

     

    Procedures Identifying and Enrolling Students Under McKinney-Vento

    Step 1 – Completion of Forms

    (1) At the time of enrollment, the parent or guardian should complete the Student Residency Questionnaire Form.  If the answer to question #1 is Yes, skip to item 6, complete the section; then submit it to the school official.

    NOTE: Regardless of whether they answered only question 1 or all questions, schools need to complete the “School Use Only” section at the bottom of the form.

    (2) If the parent or guardian answered NO to question #1 of the Student Residency Questionnaire Form, they should also answer questions 2-6.

    (3) If the person completing the Student Residency Questionnaire Form checks one of the last 3 boxes in question #3 regarding unaccompanied youth, then ask that a Caregiver Authorization Form be completed out.  This form should be completed when presenting a child/youth for enrollment who is not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian or a youth who is alone without an adult.

    (4) FAX the form(s) to the District Office @ 662-827-5261. Inform the parent that they will need to complete a notarized residency affidavit at the District Office.

     

    Step 2 - Placement

    • Determine academic placement for the child.
    • If student is identified as a special education student
    • If the Home Language Survey completed upon enrollment identifies the student as LEP/ESL, contact the Principal and Testing Coordinator via email.

     

    Step 3 – District Level Interview for Homeless Children and MSIS Coding

    The Homeless Liaison, contacts will meet with each family to determine the status of the child(ren).  If it is determined that the family is eligible for Homeless Services, then the application is approved and an Affidavit will be completed an notarized at the district office. 

    The Title I Office will e-mail the following documents to the school:

    1. A list of students who have been approved for Homeless Services.
    2. School Secretaries will code approved student properly in MSIS
    3. A copy of the approved Student Residency Questionnaire. These should be kept on file at the school.

     

    Step 4 – School Supplies

    The Title I Staff will provide school supplies to the families as requested. Supplies will be provided until they are depleted.

     

    Assisting Unaccompanied Youth

    Unaccompanied Youth

    McKinnney-Vento Act defines unaccompanied youth as, “a youth not in the physical custody of a parent. This means that the youth is not living with a parent or guardian, and includes youth who are residing with a caregiver who does not have legal guardianship and youth who are living on their own.

     

    Homeless Unaccompanied Youth

    The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children or youth as, “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” To be eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Act as an unaccompanied homeless youth, the student must lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and not be in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

     

    Rights under McKinney-Vento Act

    1. Students can remain in their school of origin ("school of origin" means the school a child attended when permanently housed or in which he/she was last enrolled).
    2. Students must receive transportation to their school of origin.
    3. Students have a right to immediate enrollment, even if they don't have all of their paperwork - for example, medical/health records, proof of residency, former school records, immunization records.
    4. Students have a right to access all of the school's programs and services on the same basis as all other students, including special education, migrant education, vocational education, school nutrition programs (school breakfast and lunch), and extracurricular.
    5. Students and their families have access to a dispute resolution process through the MS Department of Education when they disagree with a school about how the McKinney-Vento Act applies their situation.

     

    Procedures to Assist Unaccompanied Youth

    1. Inform the District Homeless Liaison when a student seeks enrollment that is either homeless or unaccompanied by an adult.
    2. Ensure the student is enrolled immediately at the appropriate school and in the appropriate placement based on Policy JBCCA.
    3. Seek to identify, with help of the youth, an adult in the youth’s life who can serve as a caregiver. The identified caregiver will be required to complete the “District’s Caregiver Authorization Form.”
    4. Assisting the unaccompanied youth in receiving the services under the McKinney-Vento Act.
    5. Provide a copy of youth’s rights under the McKinney-Vento Act.
    6. If there is a dispute, the process outlined in Policy JQN will be followed to ensure all disputes are solved promptly.
    7. Provide information on different shelters and connecting the youth to our local agencies that support homeless youth.
    8. Work with school counselor to assign a mentor.

     

    Kanesha Smith

    Homeless Liaison Coordinator