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District rolls out stricter McKinney‑Vento process and support materials for students experiencing homelessness
Summary
District administrators described a new McKinney‑Vento eligibility and support system, including referral forms, a parent transportation agreement, intake/appeals procedures and quarterly follow-up; staff reported stricter eligibility reduced counts compared with earlier years.
District administrators presented a newly developed McKinney‑Vento process for identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness and shared resource packets and procedures at the June 18 meeting. The materials — adapted from a Salem-Kaiser template and tailored to Jefferson — include eligibility flowcharts, intake and termination letters, an appeals process, and a new parent transportation request and agreement for required school‑function transportation.
Administrator (Katrina) said the district tightened eligibility determinations to ensure ‘doubled up’ situations are carefully evaluated rather than automatically qualifying every doubled-up household. She described confidentiality protections, referral options (barcodes, online and written forms), intake interviews, resource referrals and quarterly check-ins for families enrolled under McKinney‑Vento.
Katrina said McKinney‑Vento transportation obligations (school-of-origin transportation) are often a significant district expense and that while the district seeks community resources, it cannot provide housing or pay rent. She noted program successes and a decline in counts attributed to stricter eligibility: in 2023–24 the district reported about 15 elementary, about seven middle school and about 12 high school students identified as homeless; in later years stricter application of the law reduced those counts (elementary counts fell to roughly five in a later year as staff refined determinations).
Board members asked about confidentiality and methods for gaining trust with families; Katrina described staff procedures to protect privacy and said the district has seen improved follow-up and connections to local resources. The board expressed support and discussed restoring additional food supports (supper program) and continuing outreach to food banks.
Next steps: administrators will continue outreach, refine documentation and maintain quarterly check-ins on students enrolled under McKinney‑Vento.
