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Board hears proposed rename and updates to homeless‑student policy to align with McKinney‑Vento law
Summary
Harford County staff proposed renaming the district’s 'Homeless Students' policy to the 'McKinney‑Vento Education Program' and presented revised definitions, enrollment rights, and supports; the district reported 465 students currently identified as experiencing homelessness.
Harford County Public Schools staff presented a proposed rewrite and renaming of the district’s homeless‑student policy to the “McKinney‑Vento Education Program” at the March 10 Board meeting. The renaming and updates are intended to align district policy with the federal McKinney‑Vento Homeless Assistance Act and related Maryland regulations (COMAR).
The proposed policy revisions update definitions (children and youth experiencing homelessness, unaccompanied youth, school of origin), clarify rights such as immediate enrollment without proof of residence or records, reaffirm transportation obligations to preserve the school of origin when in the student’s best interest, and describe dispute‑resolution procedures. Staff emphasized the district’s obligation to remove barriers to attendance and to provide comparable services — including access to Title I and other supports.
The district reported there are 465 students currently identified as experiencing homelessness across Harford County Public Schools. Staff gave a breakdown during the meeting: approximately 201 in pre‑K through grade 5, 108 in grades 6–8, 150 in grades 9–12; separate counts included 30 students staying in hotels, 252 in doubled‑up situations (living with relatives or friends), and 15 in other unstable situations (cars or other locations). Staff said the district coordinates with local providers (for example, Harford Community Action Agency) to help find temporary shelter and supports.
Board members asked operational questions about school placement, how school of origin is decided, how records are obtained when children arrive without prior transcripts, and how the district handles placement when safety, disciplinary history, or other risk factors are present. Staff explained the immediate‑enrollment rule cannot be delayed for missing records and that pupil personnel workers handle registration and placement decisions while pursuing records.
The board praised the outreach and support work and asked staff to circulate school‑level data. The proposed policy will go through the normal board review and public‑comment steps before adoption.
