Elkhorn policy panel expedites McKinney‑Vento homeless‑students policy after DPI procedural audit

The Elkhorn Area School District Policy Committee agreed on Feb. 25 to move a NEOLA‑sourced homeless‑students policy ahead of other pending policy adoptions after district staff said the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has opened a procedural audit of the district’s McKinney‑Vento compliance.

District staff explained that McKinney‑Vento, the federal law protecting students who become homeless during the school year, requires local procedures on identification, immediate enrollment, dispute resolution and transportation. “McKinney‑Vento is the law that protects the rights of our students who may become homeless during the school year,” a district staff member said during the meeting.

The staff member told the committee the audit, which began in January, reviews eight areas of district practice, including how staff become aware of McKinney‑Vento situations, community outreach, referral procedures, cross‑program coordination for English‑language learners and special education, and transportation arrangements. Staff said Title I funds are used in part to support McKinney‑Vento students and the district reports related information in its ESSA plan.

Why it matters: The DPI audit prompted staff to recommend taking the homeless‑students policy out of the routine NEOLA adoption queue and present it to the full school board sooner. The committee approved that approach and directed staff to place the policy on the March 10 board agenda for consideration and the required two readings.

District staff said the district currently uses a mix of approaches to provide transportation to students who are experiencing housing instability, including mileage reimbursement and gas‑card arrangements documented through family agreements and the district accounting system. “Typically that becomes gas cards that we calculate that mileage, and we set up a contract with the family based on the child's attendance, and that we reimburse the parent for driving them here,” the presenter said.

Staff reported there are about 24 students on the district roster identified as experiencing homelessness this year; the presenter characterized that as under 1% of the district student population and noted the state average can be higher. The district’s designated homeless liaison, Emil Truen, and school social workers coordinate identification, enrollment and support.

The committee discussed procedural details the policy must reflect, including immediate enrollment standards and medical‑records protocols. Committee questions focused on what “immediate enrollment” means in practice; staff said the district strives to enroll eligible students within 24 hours when families request immediate placement and then follow up to gather missing documentation. Registrar Katie Hoffman was identified as a primary contact for collecting records.

Committee members asked staff to remove two items in the NEOLA draft that duplicate existing local policy language (including a cross‑reference to AG‑511), and staff indicated they will strike that language while keeping the draft otherwise aligned with state and federal requirements.

What’s next: The committee directed staff to bring the revised NEOLA homeless‑students policy to the full school board for consideration on March 10 with a short presentation and the two readings the board requires. Staff said the expedited timing is specifically to ensure the district can document its policy position in DPI’s audit process.

Ending note: Committee members emphasized that whether or not a child qualifies under McKinney‑Vento, the district continues to provide food, clothing and other basic supports to families in need at all school sites.