Students who are temporarily or will be permanently displaced by Hurricane Harvey are entitled to full protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act that covers homeless students.
“The law, which was renewed in 2015 along with the Every Student Succeeds Act, categorizes as homeless any student who “lives in temporary shelters and those who use places not designed for sleeping as their regular nighttime residence, such as a car, park, abandoned building, bus, train station, airport or camping ground.” It also qualifies as homeless students who “double up” during financial hardships or natural disasters, meaning those living with relatives or family friends.
Homeless students under the act, no matter what their economic background, have a number of rights, including to free lunch and transportation to either their new school or to their school of origin. It falls on the homeless coordinator in each district to ensure students get what’s required under the law. ”
To read more about the McKinney-Vento Act & school district responsibilities click the link below to read the article by Daarel Burnette II for Education Week. The article also includes some resources for parents & school districts to further aid in understanding the law.