If your family lives in any of the following situations:

• In a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground.

• On the street.

• In an abandoned building, trailer, or other inadequate accommodations.

• Doubled up with friends or relatives because you cannot find or afford housing.

Then, your preschool-aged and school-aged children have certain rights or protections under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.

 Your children 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.

• 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 you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal its decision.)

• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.

• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children's needs.

 When you move, you should do the following:

• Contact the school district’s local liaison for homeless education (see phone number below) for help in enrolling in a new school or arranging to continue in your former school. (Or, someone at a shelter, social services office, or the school can direct you to the person you need to contact.)

• Tell your teachers anything that you think they need to know to help you in school.

• Ask the local liaison for homeless education, the shelter provider, or a social worker for assistance with clothing and supplies, if needed.

McKinney-Vento Liaison: Dionna Smith-Johnson 

 Phone:  919-731-5916 extension # 3004
 Email: dionnasmithjohnson@wcps.org
 
 Regular LEA McKinney-Vento Student Count:
 2019-2020: 269     2020-2021: 168     2021-2022:185
 

Information for Parents and School-Aged Youth Homeless Education North Carolina Homeless Education Program website:
https://hepnc.uncg.edu/    or    www.serve.org/hepnc
 
State Coordinator: Lisa Phillips: 336-543-4285 / lisa.phillips@dpi.nc.gov