McKinney-Vento

Homeless Education in ECPS

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a piece of federal legislation that addresses the education of children and youth in homeless situations. This federal law entitles children who are homeless to a free, appropriate public education and requires schools to remove barriers to enrollment, attendance, and success in schools. Edgecombe County Public Schools provides services that include immediate enrollment, a school selection that promotes stability, and other supports.

This Act protects all students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate residence, such as students living in the following situations:

doubled-up housing with other families or friends due to hardship
runaway youth
hotels or motels
shelters
cars, abandoned buildings, the street, or other public spaces
campgrounds or inadequate trailer homes
abandoned in a hospital

To obtain more information about services provided to homeless youth and how to access services, please contact Stephanie Gay, phone: (252) 883-1432, email: [email protected].

Youth Rights

Rights of Parents and Unaccompanied Youth

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:

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;
remain in their school or origin (the school the student attended when permanently
housed or in which the student was last, enrolled) if that is in the student's best interest
receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth; and
receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the student's need.

Identified Student Statistics

Informational Links

HOMELESS STUDENTS Policy Code: 4125

As required by the North Carolina Constitution and North Carolina law, the Edgecombe County

Board of Education (the “Board”) is committed to providing a free public school education to all

children who are legally entitled to enroll in the school system. In accordance with the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act and the North Carolina State Plan for Educating Homeless Children, the Board will make reasonable efforts to identify homeless children and youth of school age located within the area served by the school system, encourage their enrollment, and eliminate barriers to their receiving an education that may exist in school system policies or practices. Based on individual need, homeless students will be provided services available to all students, such as preschool, free or reduced price school meals, services for English learners, special education, career and technical education (CTE), academically or intellectually gifted (AIG) services, and before- and after-school

Care. The provisions of this policy will supersede any and all conflicting provisions in Board policies that address the areas discussed in this policy. To read the full ECPS Board policy click here.