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805 W Centre St, Shenandoah, PA 17976
Homeless Student Resources
The Shenandoah Valley School District believes that homeless youth should have access to free and appropriate public education and wishes to limit the barriers that homeless children may face. Our goal is to have the educational process continue as uninterrupted as possible while children are in homeless situations.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act: Support for Students Experiencing Homelessness
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees that students experiencing homelessness can access a free, appropriate, and public education in the United States. All public schools are federally mandated to identify students experiencing homelessness, remove barriers to their education, and ensure they receive all protections under the McKinney-Vento Act. Public schools must designate a homeless liaison responsible for facilitating this process.
To qualify for services, students must meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness 42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2):
“The term “homeless children and youth” —
A. means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, or 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 alternative adequate 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 circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).”
Once identified by their school, eligible children and youth receive various rights under the McKinney-Vento Act, including the right to:
● A free, appropriate, and public education.
● Enroll immediately and participate in the full school program, even when documents usually required for enrollment are unavailable.
● Enroll in the local school where they live (school of residence), or remain in the school last attended when permanently housed, or the school where the youth was last enrolled (school of origin).
● Receive transportation to and from school and school-sponsored extracurricular activities.
● Receive comparable services as housed students, including special education, extracurricular activities, and Title I services.
● Receive free school meals.
● The right to dispute the denial of eligibility or enrollment.
Unaccompanied youth, or students who meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness and are not in the physical custody of a legal parent or guardian, are eligible for additional rights under the law as well as those listed above, including the right to:
● Enroll and participate in the school program as independent students.
● Have their wishes prioritized in school placement decisions.
● Receive credit support to stay on track for graduation.
● Receive notification/verification of their independent student status when applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Links
● Education for Homeless Youth Basic Education Circular (BEC), Pennsylvania Department of Education
● School Board Policy Manual, #251 Students Experiencing Homelessness
Homeless Liaison Information
SPANISH VERSION OF ABOVE INFORMATION
To refer potentially eligible students, contact the school homeless liaison:
Name: Gina Miscannon
Email: miscg@svbluedevils.org
Phone Number: 570-462-1957 ext. 4177
Region 2 ECYEH Office Information
1-610-987-8509
1-800-510-2741