Eligible students include student who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and include a child or youth:

• who is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason; is living in a motel, hotel, trailer park or camping ground due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; is living in an emergency or transitional shelter; is abandoned in a hospital;
• who is living in a car, park or public space or in an abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station or similar setting;
• who has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designated for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; or
• who is a migratory child who qualifies as homeless because the child is living in circumstances as described above.

Eligible students have the right to...

1. Continue to attend their school of origin or attend school in the district of their current residence, depending upon the student’s best interest
2. Comparable educational services
3. Transportation to and from school
4. Free school meals
5. Full participation in school activities
6. The right to be served without stigma or separation

If you believe that you or your child is eligible for services under this law, please inform the person registering you or the school district’s homeless liaison. 

MSAD #6 follows the provisions of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McV), aiming to minimize educational disruptions experienced by homeless students. 

Under McV, homeless students are guaranteed the right to a free, appropriate, public education. When students become homeless, they can remain enrolled in the schools they have been attending, although they might no longer meet residency requirements. McKinney-Vento also guarantees homeless students the right to enroll in a public school even if they lack the typically required documents and immunizations. In addition, homeless students are guaranteed the transportation they need to attend school.

According to McV, “homeless” can be defined as an individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, and includes:

• Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. 
• Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason.
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations.
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Living in a public or private place not designed for or regularly used as accommodations.
• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. 

Unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) are those living in the above situations who are not physically staying with their parent/legal guardian.

Migrant youth living in the above situations are also homeless.

Students are qualified as long as they are enrolled in school from pre-k to high school.

• Stay in the school of origin
• Receive transportation
• Enroll in school immediately without documentation 
• Receive free school meals
• Unaccompanied youth may give consent for all medical needs
• All Mckinney-Vento students’ absences must be counted as excused IF RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS 
• Mckinney-Vento students are protected from truancy. 
• Get early childhood services
• Head Start and Early Head Start must prioritize availability for children experiencing homelessness  

A homeless youth and/or their family have the right to dispute enrollment decisions made by MSAD #6 Schools.