Forsyth County Schools highlights McKinney‑Vento supports as qualifying students rise

Kim Pluhar, the district’s McKinney‑Vento liaison, told the Forsyth County Board of Education that 671 students have qualified for McKinney‑Vento services so far this year and that about 61 of those are unaccompanied homeless youth. Pluhar briefed the board during Homeless Awareness Month on how the program defines eligibility, the local mix of living situations, and the services the schools provide.

"Seventy percent of the families we sampled reported a decrease in weekly earnings," Pluhar said, summarizing a local qualitative snapshot. She added that 87% of qualifying families are “doubled up,” roughly 2% are in shelters, and that hotels, motels and unsheltered situations are part of the local caseload. Pluhar also said longitudinal counts show a modest increase in unsheltered numbers and stressed that some families hide their status for fear of repercussions.

Pluhar spelled out program activities and recent cuts: transportation to schools of origin, extended summer office hours, summer social‑worker support, tutoring and referral relationships with community nonprofits. She said funding comes from two primary sources: the Title I homeless set‑aside (which experienced a reduction this year) and a competitive McKinney‑Vento grant from the state. "We had to reduce McKinney‑Vento tutoring from 112 eligible students down to 57 served this year," she said, calling the reductions "painful but necessary given funding shortfalls."

Board members and administrators described the Homeless Youth Council — created by a 2020 resolution — as a central coordination mechanism that pulls county agencies and nonprofits together. District leaders said partnerships with organizations such as Family Promise and Mentor Me North Georgia have expanded mentoring, emergency shelter referrals and other wraparound services. The liaison also highlighted gaps: the county has only one true shelter for families (a domestic‑violence shelter) and no permanent warming‑station network; Pluhar said the district is exploring how to expand warming options with partner counties and faith institutions.

Pluhar urged the board to continue supporting transportation capacity, partnerships that increase mentoring and resiliency supports, and retention of targeted tutoring through alternate funding when federal dollars shrink. She concluded by thanking board members and signaling readiness to follow up with specific requests for community and financial support.

The board did not take formal action tied to specific new funding at the meeting; members responded with public recognition of the liaison’s work and listed volunteer and nonprofit donation opportunities as immediate community actions.