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Mapleton Public Schools

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

In Mapleton Public Schools, our mission is to provide an inclusive environment for the lives of our students, regardless of the barriers the student may face.  We want to shape a more equitable future for all students, regardless of their living situation, because our priority is for every child to thrive.  

The McKinney-Vento Act is designed to provide students experiencing homelessness with resources and protection that remove all educational barriers with emphasis on educational enrollment, attendance, and success.

What is the McKinney-Vento Act?

The McKinney-Vento Act services children and youth from birth to 21 years of age that lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.

What does that mean? Under McKinney-Vento, students are experiencing homelessness if:

  • Share housing with other people due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons
  • Live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations
  • Live in an emergency or transitional shelter
  • Are abandoned in-hospital
  • Have a primary nighttime residence not designed for, or used as regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (storage units, garages, etc.)
  • Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
  • Are migratory children living in the aforementioned circumstances?
  • Are unaccompanied youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian?

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:

  • Immediate enrollment in school, even if lacking paperwork normally required for enrollment. (i.e., immunizations, proof of residency)
  • Attend school in his/her school of origin (if this is requested by the parent and is feasible) or in the school in the attendance area where the family or youth is currently residing
  • Receive transportation to his/her school of origin
  • Services comparable to those received by housed schoolmates, including transportation and supplemental educational services
  • Attend school along with children not experiencing homelessness

Focusing on schoolwork can be difficult for a student who might not know where they will be living tonight, tomorrow, or next week.

But there is something you can do to help.

A Mapleton district liaison who has been trained to support students experiencing homelessness is available anytime you have any questions or concerns about a student’s resource needs or living situation.  

What kind of resources?

Students experiencing homelessness, as well as foster and migrant students are eligible for financial support for field trips, extracurricular activities, and graduation expenses (cap and gown, for example). Students may also qualify for special transportation arrangements.

The resources do not stop there. Be sure to contact Mapleton’s district liaison for additional information.

A student’s homeless qualification remains for the entire school year, and longer, if necessary. Remember, qualifying as ‘homeless’ does not always mean the student is without a home. Many students qualify because they share their home with friends or family and have done so for many years. McKinney-Vento can provide access to resources to help them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.