McKinney-Vento Act
If You are staying:
- In a shelter or transitional housing.
- In a motel, hotel or campground because you don't have another safe and stable place to stay.
- In a car, park, public place, abandoned building, or bus or train station.
- In someone else's house because you lost your housing or are going through a hard time financially and don't have another safe and stable place to stay.
then:
Your school-age child(ren) might qualify for help at school under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
Information for parents
If your child(ren) qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act, they have the right to:
Go to public school for free and participate fully in school activities.
Enroll in school immediately and go to class, even if you don’t have the documents normally required for school. The school where you are enrolled is responsible for helping you get any documents needed to keep attending classes.
Enroll in the local school near where you’re staying or continue going to your school of origin (the school you went to when you last had a safe and stable place to live or the school where you were last enrolled), based on where you think would be best for you to go to school.
If the school district thinks that where you want to go to school is not in your best interest, the district has to tell you in writing why it thinks another school would be better for you and give you the opportunity to appeal its decision if you want to do that. The district also has to connect you with the McKinney-Vento district liaison, who has to help you understand your right to appeal.
Get transportation to and from your school of origin, if you keep going to this school and ask for transportation.
Get help at school that is similar to the help other students get, based on what you might need. These services could include transportation, academic help,
IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD(REN) MIGHT QUALIFY
Contact the Shaker Heights City School District's McKinney-Vento local liaison or the McKinney-Vento state coordinator to find out what help might be available for your child(ren) at school.
Keith Langford
McKinney-Vento Local Liaison
216-295-6268
langford_k@shaker.org
Trish Barnett
McKinney-Vento State Coordinator
614-324-7646
HomelessEducation@education.ohio.gov