Administrative Procedure - Education of Homeless Children

Liaison for Homeless Children
The Superintendent or designee shall appoint a liaison for homeless children to coordinate the implementation of the District’s policies and procedures regarding homeless children.  The liaison shall also disseminate public notice of the educational rights of homeless children to places within the District’s boundaries where homeless children receive services, such as schools, family shelters and soup kitchens.
Definition of “Homeless Children”
A homeless student is one who:

1. lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime place of abode; or

2. has a primary nighttime place of abode that is:

a. a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing);

b. an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

c. a public or private place not designated for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, or

3. is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or other similar reason.

Enrollment of Homeless Children

A parent or guardian of a homeless student may enroll that student in either the "school of origin" or in the school for the attendance area in which the student actually lives. “School of origin" is the school that the student attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled. 

Homeless students shall be enrolled immediately, even if they are unable to provide records normally required for enrollment, and will be referred promptly for necessary immunizations in order to facilitate their prompt admission.

Resolution of Disputes Regarding Homelessness

If the District denies enrollment to a student representing to be homeless, the homeless liaison shall immediately refer the parent or guardian to the Regional Superintendent, or other appointed ombudsperson and provide the parent/guardian with a written explanation for the denial.  The liaison will also inform the student or his/her parent/guardian with any available information regarding low cost or free legal assistance, and/or other advocacy services in the community. The student shall be admitted until the dispute is resolved.

Reviewed: February 27, 2006
Adopted: May 15, 2006
Revisions Adopted: September 15, 2008