BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501

3145P

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN

AND UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH

Definition of Homeless Children or Youth

Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes those who are:

• 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;
• awaiting foster care placement;
• living in a primary nighttime residence that is 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;
• living in a migratory situation and children who qualify as homeless because of living circumstances as described above.

Definition of Unaccompanied Youth

• A youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

The Homeless Education Program

Program Model

The Homeless Education Program is an integrated support model that serves homeless children and youth in the Bellingham School District. School placement is subject to parent request for enrollment in: 1) The school of origin, 2) The local school in the area in which the homeless are living, or 3) A school of choice requested within the district, unless to do so would negatively and unavoidably impact the enrolling child, other children, or the school district's educational programs. Services are provided through existing programs and mechanisms that integrate homeless individuals with non-homeless individuals. This model is designed to reduce isolation, maximize stability and maintain consistency for this population of children and youth.

Support Components

The District appoints the Director of Student Services as the liaison for homeless students and unaccompanied youth. The liaison for homeless students will provide enrollment support and coordinate services within the school district and through community agencies in order to insure that each homeless child or youth has equal access to an education in the Bellingham School District.

Records and Enrollment

Homeless students will enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in school activities. If critical enrollment records, including immunization and medical records, are not immediately available for homeless children, the Liaison and school staff will work with these children and other agencies to obtain them in a timely manner.

Parents or guardians of homeless students or unaccompanied youth shall request the school of attendance in the following manner:

1. Submit a verbal or written request for attendance to the principal of the school of choice or school of origin. The principal will notify the Director of Student Services of the request.
2. The principal will determine if the request negatively impacts the student, other students, or the school district's educational program.
3. To the extent feasible, placement requests made by a parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth will be honored unless there is an adverse impact as noted in #2 above.
4. The principal will notify the Director of Student Services of his/her placement decision in a timely manner.
5. If the student is denied permission to attend the school, the student's parent or guardian may file an appeal to the Deputy Superintendent. Pending an appeal decision, the student may attend the requested school until an appeal decision is rendered.
6. In all cases of school placement, the best interest of the homeless student is given serious consideration.

Attendance

School staff will monitor attendance, ensure that families know that transportation is available, and work with parents to address any attendance issues.

Transportation

Homeless students and unaccompanied youth will be provided transportation services comparable to those of other students. Individual accommodations will also be considered. If students move out of the district, and continue to attend Bellingham schools, Bellingham and the new district will coordinate services to meet the student's transportation needs. Transportation requirements will be coordinated through the school principal, the Liaison and the transportation manager.

Success in School

In-service will be provided to assist staff in such areas as identification of homeless students, awareness of the rights and needs of homeless students, and strategies for working with homeless students and families.

Supplemental services and programs will be identified and made available. Assessment of educational needs will be expedited to help provide appropriate programs and services. Homeless students who are eligible will be enrolled in school food programs.

Dispute Resolution

School District Placement of Children and Youths in Homeless Situations

Note: For all three levels of the dispute resolution process, the child/youth must attend the school in which they sought enrollment while the dispute process is being carried out. The first level of appeal is to the district homeless liaison, if unresolved, the case is appealed to the local school district superintendent and if the dispute continues to be unresolved, the final appeal is to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the local school board.

Level I

If a school district seeks to place a homeless child or youth in a school other than the school of origin or the school requested by the parent, the child's/youth's parent shall be informed of their right to appeal the decision made by the school district and provided:

1. Written notice of the decision made by the local school district, explaining why the district sought to place the child/youth in a school other than the school of origin, or the school requested by the parent;
2. Written information of the parent's right to appeal;
3. Written description of the dispute resolution process; and
4. Written summary of the McKinney-Vento law.

If a parent wishes to appeal a school district's decision related to a student's placement:

1. The parent must file a request for dispute resolution with the district's homeless liaison. In the event that the district's homeless liaison is unavailable, a school district designee may initiate the dispute resolution process.
2. The homeless liaison must log the complaint, including the date and time, with a written description of the situation and the reason for the dispute, and a copy of the complaint must be forwarded to the liaison's immediate supervisor and the district superintendent.
3. Within three (3) working days of receipt of the complaint, the liaison must make a decision on the complaint and inform the parent in writing of the result.
4. If the parent wishes to appeal the decision, the district homeless liaison shall provide the parent with an appeals package containing:

   •  the parent's grievance,

   •  the decision rendered at Level I, and

   •  any additional information from the parent and/or homeless liaison.

Level II  

If the dispute remains unresolved after a Level I appeal:

1. The parent may appeal the decision to the local school district superintendent, or the superintendent's designee using the appeals package provided at Level I.
2. The superintendent, or superintendent's designee, will arrange for a personal conference to be held with the parent within three (3) working days of the parent's receipt of the Level I appeals package.
3. The local superintendent or superintendent's designee, will provide a decision in writing to the parent with supporting evidence and reasons, within three (3) working days of the superintendent's or superintendent designee's personal conference with the parent.
4. A copy of the appeals package, along with the written decision, is to be shared with the district's homeless liaison.
5. If the dispute remains unresolved, the process then moves to Level III.

Level III  

If the dispute remains unresolved:

1. The district superintendent shall forward all written documentation and related paperwork to the OSPI's homeless education coordinator, or designee, for review, within three (3) working days of notifying the parent of the decision rendered at Level II.
2. The OSPI homeless education coordinator or designee, shall make a recommended decision within three (3) working days of receipt of the complaint.
3. The final recommendation will be forwarded to the local school district's homeless liaison for distribution to the parent, the local superintendent, and the local school board.
4. At the next regularly scheduled or special meeting of the school board, the board shall accept or reject the recommendation. The parent and/or the district's homeless liaison acting on behalf of the parent, may exercise the option of presenting information relative to the complaint at the meeting, as appropriate to the structure and agenda of the meeting.
5. The local school board's determination shall be the final resolution for placement of a homeless child or youth in the district.

Legal References:

McKinney - Vento Homeless Assistance Act 2001

RCW 28A.225.215 Enrollment of Children Without Legal Residence

WAC 392-141-148 Special Transportation

Approved:

Dale E. Kinsley                                                                       January 20, 2005

Superintendent of Schools

Return to Table of Contents