Congress reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in January of 2002. This federal law includes the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program that entitles children who are homeless to a free, appropriate public education and requires schools to remove barriers to their enrollment, attendance, and success in school. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Act protects all students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate residence.

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:

Receive a free, appropriate public education.
Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
Enroll in the local attendance area school 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 the parent's, guardian's, or unaccompanied youth's preference is feasible. If the school district believes the school selected is not in the student's best interest, then the district must provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth with a written explanation of its position and inform him/her of the right to appeal its decision.
Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth.
Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the student's need.

These rights are established under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act in January 2002. To qualify for these rights, children and youth must be considered homeless according to the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless.

Eligibility Under McKinney-Vento:

Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations
Living in emergency or transitional shelters
Living in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
Migratory children living in the above circumstances
Unaccompanied youth living in the above circumstances

MACON COUNTY SCHOOLS HOMELESS DATA:

2022-2023 : 53

2023-2024: 77

2024-2025: 49

For more information, contact:
Annie Wishon
Macon County Schools
1202 Old Murphy Rd.
Franklin, NC 28734
828-524-3314
annie.wishon@macon.k12.nc.us

Or, contact your child’s guidance counselor, nurse, social worker, or principal.

State Homeless Coordinator:
Lisa Phillips
(336) 315-7491

Website: North Carolina Homeless Education Program

Macon County Schools

Federal Programs

TITLE I - EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED

TITLE II - IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY

TITLE III - LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

HOMELESS PROGRAM

RURAL, LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS (RLIS) PROGRAM

SECTION 504

ESSER MCS RETURN TO LEARN PLAN