Homeless Liaison
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act was authorized by Congress in December, 2001, as part of the No Child Left Behind Legislation. The purpose of the McKinney-Vento Act is to remove barriers to education for homeless/transitional students and provide educational stability. Any child who lacks fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless. This includes those who are temporarily sharing housing with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship. It also includes children and youth transitional housing programs and children in foster or temporary placements.
McKinney-Vento eligible children and youth have specific rights that include the following:
Maintain attendance at the school of origin(if in the child’s best interest) or enroll in the local school where currently residing.
Assistance with transportation. Parent(s) may be reimbursed for the cost of transportation to/from school of origin.
Assistance obtaining needed records and documentation.
Appropriate support services and program for which they are eligible.
Academic assistance through the district's federally funded Title I program.
Parent or guardian involvement in school activities.
Maintain enrollment in the current school for the remainder of the school year (transportation assistance as needed).
The Evans County School System provides a homeless liaison for the school district who will arrange for transportation and facilitate the entry of a homeless student to any school in the district. Enrollment will be immediate and will not be contingent upon receipt of records from the student’s last school. If a dispute arises over school enrollment, the homeless liaison will expeditiously carry out the dispute resolution process, guided by the Georgia Department of Education’s resolution process.
For more information, please contact the Evans County School System Homeless Liaison:
Becky Morgan
102 N. Clark Street
Claxton, GA 30417
912-739-1834
bmorgan@evanscountyschools.org