I. Children and youth in this school district who experience homelessness, including those not currently enrolled due to homelessness, will have equal access to the same free, public education including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths, and other services needed to ensure an opportunity to meet the same challenging state academic achievement standards to which all students are held, and to fully participate in the district’s academic and extracurricular activities.

II. The District will remove barriers to:

A. Identifying homeless children and youth.

B. The enrollment and retention of homeless children and youth in a qualified school.

III. The District will:

A. Provide access to homeless children to public preschool programs administered by the district;

B. Provide appropriate credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by homeless children and youth while attending a prior school;

C. Provide access for homeless children and youth to academic and extracurricular activities.

D. Coordinate District programs and collaborate with other school districts, community service providers and organizations, including:

1. Local social services and other community agencies to provide support to homeless students and their families,

2. Other school districts regarding homeless student-related transportation, transfer of school records, and other inter-district activities, as needed,

3. Housing authorities, and ESE.

IV. Definitions

A. Homeless Children and youth Individuals who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and includes children and youth who:

1. Are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason;

2. Are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

3. Are living in emergency or transitional shelters, or FEMA trailer designed to provide temporary living accommodations;

4. Are abandoned in hospitals or not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian;

5. Are living in a public or private place not designed or normally used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;

6. Are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; or

7. Are migratory children or youth who are living in circumstances described above.

B. Unaccompanied Youth – A child or youth who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

C. Certified Homeless Youth – A minor, homeless child or youth, including an unaccompanied youth, who has been certified as homeless or unaccompanied by a school district homeless liaison, the director of an emergency shelter program funded by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or designee, or the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services or designee, a licensed clinical social worker, or a circuit court.

D. School of Origin – The school that a child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school where the child or youth was last enrolled, including a preschool.

E. Enroll and Enrollment – Attending school and participating fully in school activities.

F. Immediate – Without delay.

G. Parent – Parent or guardian of a student.

H. Designated receiving school includes the next level school, elementary from prekindergarten, middle from elementary, high from middle, that a homeless child or youth, whose homelessness continues into the next school year, may attend when that next level school is in the district designated school for those students in the homeless student’s school of origin. When more than one school is designated to receive students from the prior level, then the school district will determine to which of the designated receiving schools the student will be assigned.

I. Eligible School: The school of origin, the school zoned for the address where the student is temporarily residing, or another school which students residing in that attendance zone are eligible to attend.

V. The District will designate an appropriate staff person able to carry out the duties described in the McKinney-Vento Act, as the district’s liaison for homeless children and youth.

VI. The District assures that children and youth will not be stigmatized, segregated, or separated in any educational program on the basis of their homeless status.

VII. The District shall identify homeless children and youth as defined by federal and state law. If the District’s liaison for homeless children and youth determines that the minor is an unaccompanied homeless youth, the liaison shall issue to the youth a certificate documenting his/her status as required by law.

VIII. The District will ensure the immediate enrollment of homeless children and youth and assures that:

A. A homeless child or youth may continue their education in the school of origin for the duration of homelessness in any case in which a family becomes homeless between academic years or during an academic year;

B. Keeping the child or youth in the school of origin is presumed to be in the child’s or youth’s best interest, except when doing so is contrary to the request of the child’s or youth’s parent or guardian, or (in the case of an unaccompanied youth) the youth;

C. When considering a placement in a school other than the child’s or youth’s school of origin, the district will consider student-centered factors to determine a placement that is in the student’s best interest;

D. The eligible school selected shall immediately enroll the homeless child or youth, even if the child or youth missed an application or enrollment deadline during any period of homelessness.

E. When a school other than the school of origin is selected, will remove barriers to enrollment and enroll homeless children and youth immediately, even if they cannot produce records or otherwise meet enrollments, including:

1. Previous academic records,

2. Immunizations or other health records,

3. Birth certificate,

4. Proof of residency,

5. Guardianship,

6. Uniform or dress code requirements,

7. Outstanding fees, fines, or absences, or

8. Other required documentation.

F. A homeless child or youth shall be given a temporary document exemption to provide proof of age, certification of a school-entry health examination, proof of immunization and other documentation required for enrollment.

IX. Each homeless child and youth shall be provided the services that are available comparable to services offered to non-homeless students in their school, including the following:

A. Transportation,

B. School nutrition programs,

C. Programs for gifted and talented students,

D. Career and technical education,

E. Preschool programs administered by the District, and

F. Educational services for which the child or youth meets the eligibility criteria: Title I, ESE, and educational programs for English learners.

XI. Children and youth experiencing homelessness, and who meet the relevant eligibility criteria, will have access to all available academic and extracurricular activities for which they meet relevant eligibility criteria.

XII. Unaccompanied homeless high school youth will receive counseling to prepare and improve their readiness for postsecondary education.

XIII. Records for homeless children and youth will be:

A. Treated as a student education record, and will not be deemed to be directory information, under section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act;

B. Maintained for each homeless child or youth, including:

1. Immunization or other required health records;

2. Birth certificates;

3. Academic records;

4. Guardianship records; and

5. Evaluations for special services.

C. Made available, in a timely fashion, when a child or youth enters a new school; and

D. Held confidential in a manner consistent with section 444 of the General Education Provision Act.

XIV. Transportation to and from a child’s or youth’s school of origin will be provided or arranged, at the request of the parent or guardian, or, in the case of an unaccompanied child or youth, the district’s designated liaison for the homeless children and youth.

XV. When the child’s or youth’s living arrangements are in an area served by another school district (district of residence), this school district (district of service) will coordinate with the district of residence to agree upon a method to apportion the responsibility and costs for providing the child or youth with transportation to and from the school of origin.

XVI. Disputes

A. When considering placement in a school other than the child’s or youth’s school of origin, the district will consider student-centered factors to determine a placement that is in the student’s best interest.

B. When the district determines that a placement other than the school of origin is in the best interest, the district will provide the parent, guardian or unaccompanied homeless youth with:

1. A written explanation in a manner and form understandable to the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth; and

2. Information on the right to appeal the placement determination.

C. During a school selection dispute:

1. The child or youth will either remain enrolled in the student’s school of origin or shall be immediately enrolled in the eligible school in which enrollment is sought, either the school zoned for the address where the student is residing or another school;

2. The parent or guardian of the child or youth or, in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the youth shall be provided with a written explanation of any decisions related to school selection or enrollment made by the school or the district, including the rights of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth to appeal such decisions; and

3. The parent guardian, or unaccompanied youth shall be referred to the district’s designated homeless liaison to carry out the dispute resolution process as expeditiously as possible.

4. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, the liaison shall ensure the youth is immediately enrolled in the school in which the youth seeks enrollment pending resolution of such dispute.

XVII. The District shall follow the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and Florida Statutes.

NEFEC
Revised: 02/11/22