Homeless and Foster Care Information
By Landon Pollard
Homeless and Unaccompanied Youth Information
Beginning in the 2023-2024 SY, Tana Miller serves as the Marshall County School District's Homeless Liaison. She can be reached at 662-252-0015 or tmiller@mcschools.us.
All school districts are required to maintain compliance with the McKinney-Vento Act which provides specific rights for homeless students. Every school district must designate a McKinney-Vento Liaison to assist in identifying, supporting, and ensuring the rights of homeless students and families. These rights include waiving certain requirements, such as proof of residency, when students are enrolling and allowing categorical eligibility for certain services, such as free lunch. The Act also states:
Students who are homeless may attend their school of origin or the school where they are temporarily residing.
Parents or guardians of homeless students must be informed of educational and related opportunities.
Students who are homeless may enroll without school, medical, or similar records.
Students who are homeless and their families receive referrals to health, dental, mental health, substance abuse, housing, and other needed services.
Students who are homeless have a right to comparable transportation services, whereas transportation is comparable to other students attending the school.
Students must be provided a statement explaining why they are denied any service or enrollment.
Students must be enrolled in school and receive services, such as transportation, while disputes are being settled.
Students are automatically eligible for Title I services.
School districts must reserve a portion of Title IA funds to serve homeless students.
School districts must review and revise policies that serve as barriers to homeless students.
Schools must post information in the community regarding the rights of homeless students and unaccompanied youth in schools and other places where homeless families may frequent and written in a language they can understand.
School districts must identify a McKinney-Vento Liaison
National Center for Homeless Education Website
Marshall County School District McKinney-Vento Homeless Procedural Handbook
Foster Care
Tana Miller serves as the Marshall County School District's Foster Care Point of Contact. She can be reached at 662-252-0015 or tmiller@mcschools.us.
On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released joint guidance to states, school districts and child welfare agencies on the new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for supporting children/youth in foster care. The guidance aims to assist state and local partners in understanding and implementing the new law, and to inform state and local collaboration between educational and child welfare agencies across the nation for the well-being of children in foster care.
Marshall County School District's Foster Care Procedural Manual