Homeless Resources
Being homeless doesn’t mean you can’t get an education.
Per the McKinney–Vento Act of 1987, homeless minors are entitled and required to register for school. The Texas Education Agency details this on their website. (The following quotes are taken from the TEA website.)
If you are homeless and you wish to enroll in school, please contact the school immediately by calling (469) 302-3400. The school is prohibited from requiring paperwork or any immunization history for students to enroll. That means homeless minors are able to enroll into school immediately.
Students who are experiencing homelessness are to be enrolled immediately. Districts cannot require students experiencing homelessness to provide proof of residency, immunizations, birth certificates guardianship documents, or any other sort of required paperwork before enrolling. Requiring missing paperwork or any other delay to enrollment is a violation of the McKinney-Vento Act.
You can enroll in the school you went to before you became homeless, or the school closest to you currently. Per the TEA website:
Students who are experiencing homelessness have the right to attend school in their school of origin or in the school in the attendance area where the family or youth is currently residing. School of origin is defined as the school in which the child/youth was enrolled when they became homeless, or the school in which the child/youth was last enrolled. The campus a child attends is determined by which campus can serve the best interests of the child. In Texas a student experiencing homelessness may enroll in any district they choose, regardless of the location of their residence, school of origin or attendance zone campus.
Not being able to afford school supplies or a lunch doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to school. Homeless students are eligible for Title-I benefits. That means you can get things like school supplies, clothes, immunizations, tutoring, extra classes, etc., for free.
Students experiencing homelessness who are not on a Title-I campus are eligible to receive Title-I services. These services are provided at the discretion of the LEA through existing Title-I programs or through the use of Title-I, Part A set-aside funds for students who are not on Title-I campuses. Students on Title-I campuses may receive additional supplemental services to the services being provided on their campus through the Title-I, Part A set-asides as well. Services may include: personal school supplies, items of clothing that are necessary to meet a school’s dress requirement, immunizations, supplemental counseling services, tutoring, costs associated with credit recovery, or other similar activities to address a child’s opportunity for school success.
More information is available at the Texas Homeless Education Office (THEO) or you can contact McKinney ISD’s Vento Counselor, Robert Gupton, by calling (469) 302-6029 or emailing [email protected].