Law

McKinney-Vento Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 focuses on increasing academic achievement of homeless students through school stability, access, and support. Under this federal law and the Nevada Education for Homeless Children Guidelines, these students have the following rights:

• The right to be enrolled immediately in school without immunization records (seven-day grace period), birth certificate, or previous school records (30-day grace period).
• Unaccompanied youth, not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, have the right to enroll in school under the above guidelines.

Attend “school of origin”
The homeless student has three choices and may attend either:

• The school the child or youth attended when permanently housed;
• The school in which the child or youth was last enrolled, including a pre-school;
• The school for which the child is currently zoned.

Transportation to “school of origin”
• Should a student become homeless, at parental request, the student is entitled to receive transportation to his or her school of origin or last school attended, if the school is two miles or more from the student’s current address.
• If an unaccompanied youth requests transportation, school personnel should request transportation back to the school of origin or the last school attended.
• Title I HOPE provides either a Clark County School bus or a RTC reduced-fare bus pass. The Clark County School District Transportation Department makes all transportation determinations.

Nutrition

• Homeless students automatically receive free breakfast and lunch when their residency is identified on the Clark County School District Registration Form, CCF-705, and their information is recorded on the 3rd page of the Student Atom in the drop-down box labeled Homeless.
• No other documentation is required in order for Title I HOPE students to receive nutrition.

Access to all school services

• Homeless children are entitled to the same services and programs as children who are not homeless.

Unaccompanied Youth

• Defined as youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian
• Living with friends or relatives (“couch-surfing”)
• Forced out or told to leave home
• Runaway
• Living in a place not intended for a person to sleep
• Living in a hotel or motel
• Staying at a shelter or transitional housing program
• Living in an abandoned building

Access to all school services

• LEA liaisons must help unaccompanied youth
• enroll in a school continue school enrollment, if already attending school inform youth of their appeal rights assist with transportation, if living more than 2 miles from school transfer school records, despite outstanding fees receive free breakfast and lunch receive school supplies

• School personnel must be made aware of the specific needs of runaway and homeless youth.

• 2003 amendments to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) require RHYA grantees to coordinate with liaisons, to assure that runaway and homeless youth are provided information about the educational services available to them.