Homeless Education Program Overview

The Somerset School District shall establish a plan and designate a liaison to coordinate the McKinney-Vento Act to designate a homeless liaison. The homeless liaison's primary responsibility is to identify and immediately enroll any homeless children and youth in the district and help them to succeed in school. Other homeless liaison responsibilities include:

• Assist with the enrollment process, including dispute-resolution procedures

• Share information/educate parents/guardians, unaccompanied youth, staff, school board members and community agencies of the educational rights of children experiencing homelessness.

• Discuss with parents preschool options for preschool aged children

• Offer and help with arranging transportation if needed

• Help obtain school supplies when needed by students experiencing homelessness

• Coordinate free school meals for students experiencing homelessness

• Ensure the same educational services non-homeless students receive

• Work with agencies in the community to serve students experiencing homelessness

Identification Categories

The  McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as:  

• Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are:  sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason

• living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations

• living in emergency or transitional shelters  abandoned in hospitals

•  living in 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  

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

• migratory children who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described above

Educational Programming

The School District of Somerset provides the following assurances to parents and guardians of children experiencing homelessness and youth and unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness:

• The child or youth shall be immediately enrolled and allowed to fully participate in school, even if unable to produce records normally required for enrollment (e.g., academic records, immunization and other required health records, proof of residency, or other documentation) or has missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.  

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness are not stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as homeless and have full and equal educational and related opportunities.  

• Meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children including special notices of events, parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, and access to student records.  

• Immediate enrollment and transportation to the school of origin. “School of origin” means the school that a child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled, including a preschool.

•  Written explanation of any decisions related to school selection or enrollment made by the school, the local educational agency, or the State educational agency involved, including the rights of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth to appeal and receive prompt resolution of such decisions.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the Homeless Education Program please contact the Director of Pupil Services, Jessica Thorson, at 715-247-4848 ext. 575 jthorson@somerset.k12.wi.us