The Naches School District McKinney-Vento program is designed to assist homeless and at-risk students and their families within the Naches School District. The program strives to ensure that students experiencing homelessness are able to enroll as quickly as possible, and that they have the same access to educational opportunities as non-homeless students.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Richard Rouleau 509-653-1601 or Lori Gylling 509-653-1813.

The McKinney-Vento Act  The Secretary issues guidelines for States related to requirements under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These guidelines address ways in which a State may (1) assist local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement the provisions related to homeless children and youths amended by the ESSA and (2) review and revise policies and procedures that may present barriers to the identification, enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children and youths in school.  http://nche.ed.gov/legis/mv.php

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act defines homelessness as the following living situations:

• Shelter, vehicle, campground, tent, etc.
• Street, 24-hour restaurants, bus stations, etc.
• Motel
  
• Displaced due to natural disaster (hurricane, flood, earthquake, etc.)
•  Abandoned building, trailer, tent, etc.
  
• Doubled up with friends or relatives due to inability to pay for any affordable     housing
  
•  “Couch surfing”
• “Bounced around” from family member to family member, or one household to another
• Unaccompanied youth living on their own
  

The McKinney-Vento Liaison or designee will determine whether a student qualifies for McKinney-Vento supports based on responses to the NVSD Student Housing Questionnaire.

 Rights of Students who are Identified as Homeless

• Once identified as homeless, as per McKinney-Vento, you have the right to register your child (student) at school even if you do not have full documentation (such as immunization records, utility bill, birth certificate, etc.,) available at the time of enrollment.
  
• Once registered, your child can begin attending school within 1 or 2 days.
  
• If deemed in the best educational interests of the child, the student(s) have the right to stay in the same school for the remainder of the school year, even if you move.
  
• Depending on the individual circumstances, your student(s) will be provided with transportation to and from with school buses, city bus passes, or gas vouchers.
  
•  Your student(s) are entitled to free lunch and breakfast without the need to fill out the form.
  
•  Your student must not be isolated or stigmatized.
  
•  The above services continue until the end of the school year in which homelessness ends for that family.
  
•  Each school district must have a McKinney-Vento liaison. (Please see contact information at the top of the web page.)