| Genesee Intermediate School District |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5111.01 - HOMELESS STUDENTS
Children who meet the Federal definition of "homeless" will be provided a free, appropriate public education or program in the same manner as all other students of the District. To that end, homeless students will not be stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as a homeless student. The District shall establish safeguards that protect homeless students from discrimination on the basis of their homelessness.
The District shall post public notice of educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness in each school building. Homeless children and youth are defined as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and include those who meet any of the following criteria:
| A. | share the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason | |
| B. | live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to a lack of alternative adequate accommodations | |
| C. | live in emergency or transitional shelters | |
| D. | are abandoned in hospitals | |
| E. | are awaiting foster care placement | |
| F. | have a primary night time residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, or | |
| G. | live in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar setting |
Additionally, pursuant to Federal and State law, migratory children who are living in circumstances described in A-G above are also considered homeless. Homeless pre-school aged children and their families shall be provided equal access to the educational services for which they are eligible, including pre-school programs administered by the District.
The District shall remove barriers to the enrollment and retention of homeless students in schools in the District. Homeless students shall be provided services comparable to other students in the District. Homeless students have the right to remain in their school of origin or the local attendance area school, according to the child's best interest.
The school of origin is the school that the student attended when permanently housed or last enrolled. The local attendance area school is any public school that non-homeless students who live in the attendance area in which the student is actually living are eligible to attend. Homeless students have the right to dispute their school assignment, if their assignment is other than their school of origin. Assignment to any other school other than that requested by the parent or guardian, a written explanation, including a notice of right to appeal will be provided to the homeless student's parent or guardian or the unaccompanied youth.
At the request of the parent or guardian, or in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the local homeless liaison, transportation shall be provided for a homeless student to and from the school of origin as follows:
| A. | If the homeless student continues to live in the School District in which the school of origin is located, transportation will be provided in accordance with District policy/administrative guidelines. | |
| B. | If the homeless student moves to an area served by another district, though continuing his/her education at the school of origin, the district of origin and the district in which the student resides must agree upon a method to apportion responsibility and costs for transportation to the school of origin. If the districts cannot agree upon such a method, the responsibility and costs shall be shared equally. |
The Superintendent will appoint a Liaison for Homeless Children. The District will abide by the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
M.C.L.A. 380.1148, 380.1401 et seq., 380.688
AGO 1985-86 No. 6316, 1981-82, supra
Emancipation of Minors Act, Section 4, Subsection 6
42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq. (McKinney - Vento Homeless Assistance Act)
Adopted 5/10/11
© Neola 2011