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Homeless liaison says Engagement Center expanded services, identifies about 274 students
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Summary
Gabriela Juarez, the homeless coordinator for Chambersburg Area SD, said the district's Engagement Center has improved access to services and community donations and that the district has identified roughly 274 students eligible under the McKinney-Vento law, up from about 298 last year.
Chris Bigger, superintendent of Chambersburg Area SD, opened a district podcast by introducing Gabriela Juarez, the district's homeless coordinator, and asking about her work supporting students experiencing homelessness.
Juarez said she is in her sixth year with the district and splits time between the Children's Aid Society (CAS) residential classroom and the Chambersburg Engagement Center. "This is actually my sixth year with Chambersburg School District," she told the host.
Juarez described CAS as a private residential placement for students who are in foster care or on probation where "they sleep there, they eat there, they go to school there." At CAS she said she provides one-on-one sessions to address behavioral and trauma-related needs and organizes activities such as recent college visits to Gettysburg and Shippensburg University to give students experiences they miss while in a residential setting.
She said the Engagement Center, open about a year, has broadened how she connects families to community resources and allows the district to store and distribute donated items. "It has opened up so many doors," Juarez said, arguing the center made it easier to meet families confidentially and to offer material assistance.
On caseloads, Juarez said identifications of students eligible under the McKinney-Vento law have been increasing. "At least now we have 274 students who have been identified as being McKinney Vento eligible," she said; she added that there were "298" identifications the previous year and that she expects this year's total to surpass last year's figure based on pending referrals.
She summarized services the district provides under McKinney-Vento: immediate enrollment even when families lack required documents; notification to the school building while maintaining confidentiality; transportation to keep students in their home school when they meet eligibility; and eligibility for free breakfast and lunch and extracurricular activities. "So we're ensuring they're enrolled... even without those documents," Juarez said.
Juarez also described referrals and partnerships used to support families'housing stability, naming SCAP, the Salvation Army and local churches as sources of rental assistance. "They were able to offer rental assistance so that they don't lose their housing and become homeless," she said.
She said the district conducts annual redeterminations and estimated the program begins each year with about 100 students who remain through the year while others cycle in and out based on need. On immediate material needs, Juarez said families most often request hygiene supplies, food and gift cards.
Asked how she stays motivated, Juarez described personal experience and family as drivers for her work. "I will go that extra mile for a student," she said.
The podcast concluded with Bigger thanking Juarez for her work and participation. There were no policy actions or formal votes discussed during the interview.
