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The district will work with homeless students and their families to provide stability in school attendance and other services.  Special attention will be given to ensuring the enrollment and attendance of homeless students not currently attending school.  Homeless students will be provided district services for which they are eligible, including Head Start and comparable pre-school programs, Title I, similar state programs, special education, bilingual education, vocational and technical education programs, gifted and talented programs and school nutrition programs.

Homeless students are defined as those students lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, including:

1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship;

2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;

4. Abandoned in hospitals;

5. Awaiting placement;

6. Living in public or private places not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations for human beings;

7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, transportation stations or similar settings;

8. Migratory children living in conditions described in previous examples.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has amended the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The amendments to EHCY went into effect on October 1, 2016.

The Superintendent shall designate an appropriate staff person to be the district's liaison for homeless students and their families.

To the extent feasible, homeless students will continue to be enrolled in their school of origin while they remain homeless or until the end of the academic year in which they obtain permanent housing.  Instead of remaining in the school of origin, parents or guardians of homeless students may request enrollment in the school in which attendance area the student is actually living, or other schools.

If there is an enrollment dispute between the child's parent/guardian and the school district, the student shall immediately be enrolled in the school in which enrollment is sought, pending resolution of the dispute.  The parent/guardian shall be informed in writing of the district's final decision and the parent/guardian's appeal rights. Unaccompanied youth will also be enrolled pending resolution of a dispute.

Once the enrollment decision is made, the school shall immediately enroll the student, pursuant to district policies.  If the student does not have immediate access to immunization records, the student shall be admitted under a personal exception.  Students and families should be encouraged to obtain current immunization records or immunizations as soon as possible, and the district liaison is directed to assist.  Records from the student's previous school shall be requested from the previous school pursuant to district policies.  Emergency contact information is required at the time of enrollment, consistent with district policies.

Homeless students are entitled to transportation to their school of origin or the school where they are to be enrolled.  If a homeless student is living in another district but will attend his or her school of origin, both districts will make reasonable efforts to coordinate the transportation services necessary for the student.

The district's liaison for homeless students and their families shall coordinate with: local social service agencies that provide services to homeless children and their families; other school districts on issues of transportation and records transfers; and state and local housing agencies responsible for comprehensive housing affordability strategies.  The district's liaison will also review and recommend to the district policies that may eliminate barriers to the enrollment of homeless students.

Homeless students shall be provided a free and appropriate public education in the same manner as all other students in the district and shall not be stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their homeless status.  Homeless students shall not be denied enrollment based on a lack of medical records, immunization records, school records, proof of residence, or any other records usually required for school enrollment. 

No Board of School Committee policy, administrative guideline, or practice shall be interpreted or applied in such a way as to prevent the immediate enrollment or attendance of homeless students or inhibit their potential for school success. 

A homeless student, including an unaccompanied homeless youth, shall be allowed to enroll in either his/her school of origin – that is, the school s/he attended when s/he became homeless – or in any public school that non-homeless students who live in the attendance area in which the child is actually living are eligible to attend.

Students shall be permitted to remain at their school of origin during the entire time they are homeless.  Furthermore, they shall be permitted to remain at their school of origin until the end of an academic year during which they move into permanent housing.

Transportation shall be provided to and from the school of origin at the request of the parent or guardian or unaccompanied youth in accordance with the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. 

The Superintendent shall appoint a district liaison for homeless children who shall perform all duties described in the McKinney-Vento Act. 

The liaison shall collaborate with the state coordinator for the education of homeless children and youth.

Dispute Resolution

If an unaccompanied youth or parent or guardian disagrees with a school placement decision, the district must provide a written explanation of its decision and the right to appeal.  All unaccompanied homeless youth or the parents or guardians of homeless students must be informed of the right to appeal the district’s school placement decision and must be given a “Student Policy 105.1 Dispute Resolution Form” (Form H-2) to submit to the district’s homeless liaison.  The Homeless Liaison, working with the parent or guardian or unaccompanied youth shall attempt to resolve the dispute at the building level with the Principal within 5 working days of receipt of the form.

If a building-level resolution is not possible, the homeless liaison shall submit the “Student Policy 105.1 Dispute Resolution Form” to the Superintendent of Schools.  The Superintendent shall review the request and render a decision within 5 working days of receipt of the form from the homeless liaison.  If more than one school district is involved in a residence dispute, the respective superintendents shall consider an appeal jointly.

A written explanation of the Superintendent’s decision shall be provided to the parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth.  The Superintendent’s explanation shall include a statement informing the parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth of the right to appeal the decision to the Board of School Committee and the State Commissioner of Education.  The district’s Homeless Liaison shall assist the parent/guardian or unaccompanied youth with preparation of an appeal to the Board of School Committee or the State Commissioner of Education.

If the unaccompanied youth or parent or guardian wishes to appeal the Superintendent’s decision, that individual shall inform the Homeless Liaison and the appeal shall be heard by the Board of School Committee at its next regularly scheduled monthly meeting. 

In accordance with the state dispute resolution process, the State Commissioner of Education or his/her designee shall make a determination within 14 days of notice of the residency dispute, and such a determination shall be final.  A written explanation shall be provided to all parties and shall be kept on file by the commissioner.  Any person aggrieved by the decision of the State Commissioner of Education may appeal to a court of competent jurisdiction.

During the appeals process, students are entitled to immediate admittance to the school in which enrollment is sought. 

References:

42 USC 11431 McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title X

New Hampshire Department of Education Homeless Education Dispute Resolution Process

NHSBA Policy JFABD 

Revised 4/05; 1/14/2019

First Reading Coordination:  11/10/09

Second Reading and BOSC Approval:  12/14/09

Manchester, NH School District                                                                                  Form H-1

Written Notification Form

Enrollment Decision for Homeless Students

This form should be completed by a school administrator when the parent’s or student’s request to return to the school of origin is denied.  In addition to providing the parent/student with a copy, fax a copy of the completed form to Jocelyne Pinsonneault, District Homeless Liaison, at 603-628-6274.

Date:______________________________________________________________________

Person completing form:______________________________________________________

Title:______________________________________________________________________

School:____________________________________________________________________

In compliance with Section 722(g)(3)(E) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2001, the following written notification is provided to:

Parent or Guardian:______________________________________________________

Student(s):_____________________________________________________________

Student(s) date of birth: __________________________________________________ 

After reviewing your request to enroll the student(s) above, the enrollment request is denied.  This determination was based upon:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You have the right to appeal this decision by completing a Dispute Resolution Form or by providing your explanation verbally to the District Homeless Liaison:

                    Jocelyne Pinsonneault:  603-665-6868 

In addition:

• The student listed above has the right to be immediately admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought pending resolution of the dispute.

• You may contact the state coordinator: Lynda Thistle Elliott, State Coordinator for Homeless Education, at 603-271-3840.

Manchester, NH School District                                                                              Form H-2 

Dispute Resolution Form

Enrollment Decision for Homeless Students 

This form should be completed by the parent or guardian or student when a dispute arises over school enrollment.  The information may be shared verbally with Jocelyne Pinsonneault, District Homeless Liaison, at 603-665-6868 instead of completing this form.

Date submitted: ______________________________________________________________ 

Student(s):__________________________________________________________________

Student(s) date of birth:________________________________________________________

Person completing form:_______________________________________________________ 

Relation to student(s):_________________________________________________________ 

I may be contacted at (phone or e-mail):___________________________________________

I wish to appeal the enrollment decision made by:  ___________________________________ 

School (of origin) requested:_____________________________________________________ 

You may include a written explanation to support your appeal in this space or provide your explanation verbally:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

I have been provided with a written explanation of the school’s decision: 

___________Yes           _________No

Signature of person submitting dispute: _____________________________________________

Return this form to local school or to the District Homeless Liaison. 

Date received by the Homeless Liaison: ___________________________________________