McKinney-Vento

Transylvania County Schools, North Carolina

Information about the McKinney-Vento Act:


The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law, originally enacted in 1987, with most recent reauthorization occurring in 2015.  This law is designed to eliminate barriers to enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school when students and families are experiencing homelessness.  Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the same rights to access educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same high academic standards to which all students are held.  


Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children and youth who lack a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” and living in one of the following situations may be eligible for services:


Shelter

Motel/Hotel

Campground/Tent or camper

Abandoned building

Bus or Train station

Sharing housing with other people due to loss of your housing or economic hardship

Living in any other inadequate accommodation not meant for human habitation (car, public place, dwelling with no running water, electricity, etc.)


*Additionally- if you are an “Unaccompanied Youth” (a student not living with a parent or legal guardian), and live in one of the above situations, you also may be eligible for services.


Eligible students have the right to:


  • Receive the free, appropriate public education to which they are entitled.

  • Be enrolled in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.

  • Be enrolled in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documentation.

  • Enroll in the local school near where they are living; or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is their preference.  If the school district believes that the school selected by the student is not in his/her best interest, then the district must provide the student with a written explanation of its position and offer him/her the opportunity to appeal its decision.

  • Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested.

  • Receive educational services comparable to those provided to all other students, according to the student’s needs.

To read more information about the McKinney-Vento Act, student/parent rights under the act, as well as posters to display information about the act, please use the following links:   

https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/introduction.pdf

https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/parentbrochure_eng.pdf

https://hepnc.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/Docs/NCHEPparentposter17.pdf

https://hepnc.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/Docs/NCHEPyouthposter17.pdf


Contact Information:


If you believe you or your child may be eligible, or if you have any questions about the Transylvania County Schools McKinney-Vento program, please contact:


Missy Ellenberger, Director of Student Services 

Phone: (828) 884-6173

E-mail: [email protected]


More information about the McKinney-Vento Act may be found on the NC Homeless Education Program’s Website at the following link: https://hepnc.uncg.edu/


If you feel your concerns have not been addressed by Transylvania County Schools, you may contact the McKinney-Vento State Coordinator,  Lisa Phillips, by phone at:  (336) 315-7491.


For your information, please see the table below for the number of students who have been identified as McKinney-Vento eligible during the last five years.


Year

Total

2022-2023  101

2021- 2022

109

2020- 2021

112

2019-2020

125

2017-2018

124

2016-2017

109

To view state level data, please go to either of the following:

NCHEP “About” web page:  https://hepnc.uncg.edu/about/

NCHE NC State web page:   http://profiles.nche.seiservices.com/StateProfile.aspx?StateID=33

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