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McKinney Vento Liaisons, Districts, & ESDs

Liaison District, and ESD Support

Eligibility

If your family lives in any of the following situations:
  • In a shelter
  • In a motel or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation
  • In a car, park, abandoned building, or bus or train station
  • Doubled up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship
  • Lack of a fixed, regular, nighttime, adequate place of residence
Your school-age children may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
  • 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 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 your preference and is feasible.
    • If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal its decision.
  • Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
  • Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children’s needs.

​District McKinney-Vento Dispute Resolution Protocols

​

The federal McKinney-Vento (MV) Education of Homeless Children and Youth program requires states to ensure equal access to public schools by homeless students and other educational support. Among the provisions is the right of homeless parents and unaccompanied homeless youths to dispute district determinations of school placement and McKinney-Vento eligibility.

This brief below  provides guidance for Oregon school districts regarding procedures and protocols for dispute resolution and appeals, in compliance with the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education of Homeless Children and Youth program, as reauthorized in 2015 under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

2015 Reauthorization Changes to McKinney-Vento Provisions
The 2015 MV reauthorization resulted in codifying several items previously found in non-regulatory guidance. One such change occurred in the determination of a student’s best interest:
  • Previous McKinney-Vento provision: In determining the best interest of an eligible child or youth, the district shall, to the extent feasible, keep the student in their school of origin.
  • New under McKinney-Vento: ​In determining the best interest of an eligible child or youth, the district shall presume that keeping the student in the school of origin is in their best interest, except when doing so is contrary to the request of the parent or unaccompanied student.
    ​
    ​In addition to the presumption clause, MV directs districts to consider student-centered factors related to the child or youth’s best interest, including factors related to “the impact of mobility on achievement, education, health and safety” of homeless students, giving priority to the request of the parent or unaccompanied youth.

    Also new in the Act is the provision that the receiving or feeder schools are included in the definition of “school of origin.” The same criteria for best educational interest determinations apply to feeder schools. A review of a student’s best educational interest is appropriate whenever a school change is about to occur.​​​​​
Refer to the ODE District Procedures and Compliance Brief for further information and instruction.

​

​What is the American Rescue Plan?

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) into law. In recognition of the extraordinary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students experiencing houselessness, the ARP included an unprecedented $800 million to support the specific needs of houseless children and youth via the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief - Houseless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) Fund. 

ARP-HCY I & II Reimbursement Process

In order to have claims approved in the Electronic Grant Management System (EGMS), districts must complete a reimbursement request form with each of their items listed and attached to an object and function code. This reimbursement form mirrors the McKinney-Vento Subgrant, ESSER and 21st Century grant processes, so we hope this will be a familiar process for all business managers and fiscal staff. 
The form includes instructions and District staff can schedule 1:1 with ODE staff using this Bookings Page for Technical Assistance. Once complete, districts can send the form to the ODE.ARP.HCY@ode.oregon.gov​ inbox. If you have any other questions about ARP-HCY I & II, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

​There are 12 McKinney-Vento Subgrantees who received federal funds to support youth navigating houselessness for the 2019-2022 and 2023-2025 grant cycles. 

McKinney-Vento Subgrant Reimbursement Process

In order to have claims approved in the Electronic Grant Management System (EGMS), districts must complete a reimbursement request form​ with each of their items listed and attached to an object and function code.

Once complete, districts can send the form to the OR-MV@ode.oregon.gov inbox. If you have any other questions about McKinney-Vento Subgrants, please do not hesitate to reach out. 


Resources

Federal and state laws for guidance on the McKinney-Vento Act, Education for Homeless Children & Youth Program:

The following posters are available for download

  • ​ODE American Indian Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Education & the McKinney-Vento Program

​The following list includes the primary national association resources that provide information on program implementation, FAQs, training, and other supports that may assist LEAs manage local youth navigating houselessness education programs. 

National Links

  • National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) - Under federal contract, NCHE provides technical assistance, webinars, topical briefs, and toolkits for school district Homeless Liaisons and State Coordinators.
  • SchoolHouse Connection (SHC) - A national organization providing strategic advocacy and technical assistance for McKinney-Vento Education programs in partnership with early childhood programs, public schools, higher education, service providers, families, and youth.
  • National Homeless Law Center (NHLC) - The mission of NHLC is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness.