The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, most recently re-authorized December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

HOMELESS SERVICES

The MISD will make reasonable efforts to identify homeless school-age youth, support and encourage their enrollment and work to eliminate policy and practice barriers to their receiving a free and appropriate public education.  This includes students living in an emergency or transitional shelter, motel, hotel, trailers or campground due to lack of other adequate accommodation, in a car, park, abandoned building or bus or train station or doubled up with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship.

Eligible students have the right to:

• 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 their preference.

• If the school district believes that the school selected is not in his/her best interest,  then the district must provide the student with a written explanation of its position and inform the student of his/her right to appeal its decision.

• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested.

• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the students’ needs.

The homeless liaison at MISD coordinates many additional activities to assist homeless families with school age children including providing referrals to community agencies, school supplies, clothing, financial assistance, food and holiday gifts.

The district’s homeless liaison is:

Michelle Wilson
Phone:  (319) 377-9401
E-mail:  mwilson@marion-isd.org

Additional guidance can been found through the Iowa Department of Education website.