Homeless Children & Youth
Evergreen Community Charter School is committed to helping
children and youth experiencing homelessness access all the benefits of
attending school by removing barriers to a free and appropriate public
education. Our goal is to have a student's education continue as uninterrupted
as possible while he or she is homeless.
Children and youth who experience homelessness face many
barriers to education, yet school can be a source of stability, affirmation,
and hope during a time of chaos and trauma when a young person loses his or her
housing. Community service providers play a key role in linking homeless
children and youth to schools and providing wraparound services that can
bolster their attendance and educational success.
The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law that addresses homeless
education assistance, and requires:
·
Immediate school enrollment and full participation in all school
activities for eligible children, even when records normally required for
enrollment are not available;
·
The right of children and youth experiencing homelessness to
remain in their school of origin (the school the student attended when
permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled), when
feasible and in the child’s or youth’s best interest to do so;
·
Transportation to and from the school of origin;
·
Access to programs and services, including special education
services, preschool services, free school meals, Title I services, services for
English language learners, and gifted services;
·
Rights and protections specifically for unaccompanied youth
(youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian) who are
experiencing homelessness, including allowing them to be immediately enrolled
without proof of guardianship;
·
The right to dispute an enrollment decision and for a child or
youth to be admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought, pending the
resolution of the dispute; and
·
The appointment of a local homeless education liaison in every
school district or local education agency to ensure that homeless children and
youth are identified and given full and equal access to all educational
services for which they are eligible in order to succeed in school.
You can obtain more information about the rights of homeless
students and support services that are available to homeless students by
contacting Evergreen Community Charter School:
Telephone: 570-595-6355
E-mail: evergrn@ptd.net
Dispute Resolution Process
Children, youth and parents/guardians will be made aware of
their right to challenge the school’s decision regarding aspects relating to
the McKinney-Vento Act.
If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment, the
child or youth involved will be immediately admitted to school, pending resolution
of the dispute.
The child or youth, or the parent/guardian will initiate a
dispute with Evergreen Community Charter School’s homeless liaison. The
homeless liaison will convene a meeting of the School Leadership Team to review
the matter, and will issue a written disposition of the dispute within twenty
(20) business days after he/she is notified of the dispute. The disposition
shall be provided to the parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth and will
explain the basis for the decision and advise the parent, guardian or
unaccompanied youth of the right to appeal.
If the parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth is dissatisfied
with the disposition of a dispute or would like to raise any issue of
McKinney-Vento Act noncompliance, they may file a complaint or appeal with a
McKinney-Vento regional coordinator or with the state coordinator. The school’s
homeless liaison will provide this contact information. In lieu of filing an
appeal with a McKinney-Vento coordinator, a parent, guardian or unaccompanied
youth may elect to appeal the school’s decision directly to a court of
competent jurisdiction. Participation in the appeal procedure is not required
prior to taking legal action.
|
Regional Coordinator |
State
Coordinator |
|
|
|
LINKS
Pennsylvania Department of Education - Homeless Education (Open in a New Tab)
Pennsylvania Department of Education - Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (Open in a New Tab)
Evergreen Community Charter School’s - Homeless Policy
McKinney-Vento Assistance Act - Information
Community Partnerships - Monroe County, Pike County