Homeless Education

Homeless Education

Student Services / Homeless Education · McKinney-Vento · Always Free · Always Confidential

If your family's housing has changed — even temporarily — your children have specific rights at school under a federal law called McKinney-Vento. We can enroll your child today, arrange transportation to keep them at the school they know, and connect you with food and supplies. No documentation, no rent receipts, no pressure.

What McKinney-Vento covers

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that protects students whose housing situation isn't stable. It exists because moving schools every time housing changes is one of the worst things that can happen to a kid's education — and the law works to keep that from happening.

In Montesano, the program is run under Board Policy 3115 and supported at the state level by OSPI's Homeless Education office. Our district liaison is Shawn Brown (sbrown@monteschools.org); every school building also has a designated point of contact (see the contacts section below).

Who qualifies

The federal definition of "homeless" for school purposes is broader than most families realize. Your child qualifies if they are currently in any of these situations:

• Sharing housing with another family because of loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason — sometimes called "doubled up"
• Living in a motel, hotel, or campground due to lack of alternative housing
• Living in a shelter — emergency, transitional, or domestic-violence
• Living in a car, park, abandoned building, bus station, or any place not designed for regular sleeping
• Awaiting foster care placement (in some circumstances — call us, we'll sort it out)
• Unaccompanied youth — a young person under 18 not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, including students who have been kicked out of their home or are couch-surfing on their own

You don't have to use the word "homeless," and you don't have to prove anything. If you think your situation might fit, call us and we'll figure it out together. The conversation is private.

What your child has the right to

• Immediate enrollment in a Montesano school — even without the records, immunization paperwork, proof of residency, or guardianship documents most enrollments require. We enroll first and gather paperwork later.
• Stay at the "school of origin" — the school your child was attending when they became homeless, or the last school they were enrolled in. Even if your living situation moves them out of that school's attendance area, they can keep going.
• Transportation to and from school of origin for as long as your child is McKinney-Vento eligible. The district arranges and pays for this; you don't.
• Free meals — breakfast and lunch, automatically, no application needed.
• Waivers of fees for school supplies, athletics, field trips, and other costs that would otherwise be a barrier.
• Title I services — students experiencing homelessness are automatically eligible for Title I academic support if it's helpful.
• Confidentiality. Your child's housing status is part of their education record under FERPA. Other parents don't know. Other students don't know unless your family chooses to share.

How to start

The fastest paths in:

1. Call your child's school office — Beacon at (360) 249-4528, Simpson at (360) 249-4331, or MJSHS at (360) 249-4041. The office staff knows the building point of contact and will route you.
2. Or call the district directly. Shawn Brown at (360) 249-1233 or email sbrown@monteschools.org.
3. Or come in. Walk into any school office and ask for the McKinney-Vento liaison. We won't turn you away.

For unaccompanied youth

If you're a student under 18 not living with a parent or guardian, you can self-enroll and self-identify for McKinney-Vento services. You don't need an adult to sign for you, and you don't need to disclose where you're staying. Talk to a school counselor or the building point of contact and we'll take it from there.

Disputes

If we and your family disagree about whether your child is McKinney-Vento eligible, or which school they should attend, federal law says your child continues attending while the dispute is being resolved — not the other way around. Shawn Brown will explain the dispute process in writing and, if needed, send it to OSPI for review. You can also call OSPI's Homeless Education office directly at (360) 725-6505 or email HomelessEd@k12.wa.us.

What about when housing stabilizes?

When your family's housing situation stabilizes, McKinney-Vento eligibility ends — but not in the middle of a school year. Federal law lets your child finish out the academic year at the school of origin, and continue the next school year if they'll still be in the same grade band. Transportation continues for that period if it's still feasible.

For families that want to help

If you're a family who's been able to stay housed and you'd like to help neighbors who haven't, the McKinney-Vento program can use donations of new school supplies, sturdy backpacks, hygiene items, and gas cards. Drop-offs go through any school office, marked "Student Services." We don't accept used clothing, but we'll point you to community partners that do.

Questions, in plain terms

Will the school tell anyone? No. Your child's housing status is part of their education record under FERPA, and it stays with the small group of staff who actually need to know to do their job (the counselor, the cafeteria, the bus dispatcher). Other parents and other students aren't told.

Do I have to be a U.S. citizen? No. McKinney-Vento applies to every child in our schools regardless of immigration status, and we don't ask about it.

What if we move out of the district? If you move outside Montesano, your child can still attend a Montesano school of origin under McKinney-Vento, and the district responsible for getting them here will work it out with us. Call us as soon as you know — coordination takes a couple days.

What if my child needs more than school services? Tell us. We coordinate with food banks, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), counseling resources, and community partners. We can't solve everything, but we can usually shorten the path to someone who can help.

District liaison

Shawn Brown, Director · Student Services sbrown@monteschools.org (360) 249-1233

Building points of contact

Beacon Elementary — Rachel Duckworth rduckworth@monteschools.org · (360) 249-4528

Simpson Elementary — Stephanie Singer ssinger@monteschools.org · (360) 249-4331

MJSHS — Kristy Southard (360) 249-4041

State office

OSPI's Homeless Education office is also available directly. (360) 725-6505 HomelessEd@k12.wa.us