Housing unstable? What Mississippi families should know about school enrollment

RANKIN COUNTY — Cherie Reiff said she turned to a friend for a place to stay after losing her housing. While trying to enroll her children in school, she faced questions about how to establish residency without her name on the lease.

Christine Hawthorne described a different situation. She said her grandchildren were already attending school when residency issues arose while she was temporarily staying with her daughter. Their schooling was interrupted during that period, she said.

Reiff said she sought answers about enrollment paperwork. Hawthorne said she had been unfamiliar with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the federal law providing educational protections for eligible children experiencing homelessness.

Their experiences highlight issues families can face when housing becomes unstable: Can children enroll without a lease? Can they remain at their current school after moving? And what can families do if they disagree with an enrollment decision?

State education officials explained the protections available under McKinney-Vento and how families can seek assistance, navigate missing paperwork and challenge enrollment decisions.

Who qualifies for assistance?

Children do not have to be living on the streets to qualify for McKinney-Vento protections, according to Quentin Ransburg, the Mississippi Department of Education’s interim homeless and emergency impact aid coordinator.

Ransburg said the law covers children who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. That can include sharing housing because of housing loss or economic hardship, staying in motels because adequate alternatives are unavailable or living in shelters.

Ransburg said districts typically use housing questionnaires during registration to identify students who may qualify. Information about a family’s living arrangements can prompt school staff to contact the district’s homeless liaison to determine eligibility, he said.

Rico Buckhaulter, Rankin County School District’s homeless liaison, said families do not always recognize their circumstances as homelessness. He said conversations with families can help staff identify students who need assistance.

Who can help families navigate enrollment?

Every school district must designate a homeless liaison, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Federal guidance also emphasizes training school staff to identify and meet the needs of students experiencing homelessness. 

RCSD directs families who believe their children may qualify for assistance to contact Buckhaulter. The district says its McKinney-Vento program assists with enrollment, school stability, transportation when eligible, school supplies and community referrals. 

Ransburg said liaisons can also help families find resources beyond the classroom, including food pantries, housing resources and health services.

“They are plugged into the resources of their community,” Ransburg said.

What if a family lacks a lease or other documents?

Ransburg said eligible students must be enrolled even when families cannot provide documents normally required for registration, such as residency verification, immunization records, birth certificates or previous academic records.

Schools may still need to obtain records, but missing documents should not prevent an eligible student from enrolling immediately, he said.

Buckhaulter said proof of residency is not required for students enrolling under McKinney-Vento.

Ransburg also said the federal act does not require an affidavit. He said some districts use affidavits as part of local procedures, depending on the circumstances, and questions about those procedures should be directed to the district.

Can children remain at their current school after moving?

Federal guidance says districts must presume that remaining in the “school of origin” is in a student’s best interest unless that conflicts with the parent’s or guardian’s request or the request of an unaccompanied youth.

The school of origin generally means the school attended when permanently married or the school in which the child was last enrolled. The definition also includes preschool and designated receiving schools when students complete the final grade at their school of origin, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The department’s transportation guidance says districts must provide or arrange transportation to and from the school of origin at a parent’s or guardian’s request or at the liaison’s request for an unaccompanied youth. 

What if a family disagrees with an enrollment decision?

Ransburg said districts that determine a student is ineligible for McKinney-Vento protections must give the parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth a written explanation and information about challenging the decision. He said districts must also provide written notice when there is a disagreement about school selection.

Federal guidance says the student must be immediately enrolled in the school where enrollment is sought while the dispute, including available appeals, is resolved. 

Ransburg said local appeals may involve a superintendent or designee and the school board. Families who disagree with the local outcome can bring the dispute to MDE, he said.

Under MDE’s published procedure, the state homeless education coordinator gathers information and forwards it to the Office of Federal Programs’ executive director for review. A parent, guardian or unaccompanied youth who disagrees with that decision has 10 business days to appeal in writing to the state superintendent.

The procedure calls for the state superintendent or designee to issue a final administrative decision within 10 business days of receiving the appeal. 

What other support can families seek?

Buckhaulter said RCSD keeps school supplies available and works with churches and community organizations to connect families with food, clothing and other assistance.

He said finding housing resources can be more difficult, particularly when shelters cannot accommodate an entire family.

Ransburg said McKinney-Vento’s purpose extends beyond registration to helping students participate in school and receive the services for which they qualify.

“The act focuses on educational continuity for these students,” Ransburg said.

Both Reiff and Hawthorne said the children in their care are now enrolled in school.

Responding to questions about both families’ experiences, Rankin County School District attorney Fred Harrell also said the children referenced in the inquiry were enrolled and attending school and that the district had complied with applicable requirements. He declined to discuss individual circumstances, citing student and family confidentiality.

The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center has not independently established the enrollment timelines or the circumstances surrounding the families’ reported difficulties.

Courtesy of Mississippi Today