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Humboldt Unified trains staff on McKinney‑Vento rights for homeless and foster students
Summary
Humboldt Unified District required staff training explained McKinney‑Vento protections — immediate enrollment without documents, transportation to school of origin, free meals and weekend food bags — and outlined Family Resource Center supports and referral steps to liaison Lisa Kritenstein.
Humboldt Unified District staff completed mandatory training on McKinney‑Vento and foster‑student procedures, with Lisa Kritenstein, the district’s family resource specialist and homeless and foster student liaison, outlining immediate‑enrollment rights, transportation options and local supports.
The training summarized federal McKinney‑Vento protections (enacted July 22, 1987) and why they matter locally: about 200 HUSD students qualified for McKinney‑Vento in the 2025–26 school year (roughly 3–4% of enrollment), and national estimates put U.S. students experiencing homelessness at about 1.3 million annually. The presenter said students experiencing homelessness have lower on‑time graduation rates nationally and identified barriers such as chronic absenteeism and frequent school moves.
Presenters told staff that students experiencing homelessness must be enrolled immediately even without standard documentation (birth certificate, immunization records, proof of residency or prior school records) and that “Start enrollment immediately. Documents and fees can wait,” as staff should prioritize school stability. The district’s homeless liaison is responsible for helping families obtain missing records and for coordinating transportation when students need to remain at their school of origin.
The training also reviewed programmatic supports available through HUSD and its Family Resource Center: automatic qualification for free school meals for McKinney‑Vento students, the district’s weekend "Hungry Kids" food bag program, free clothing and school supplies, covered caps and gowns, FAFSA determination letters, and waiver or coverage of class and field trip fees (entered to the student’s InTouch account and paid from homeless funds at year end). Presenters emphasized that sports fee waivers and some fee coverage apply specifically to McKinney‑Vento eligible students.
Staff were given guidance on identifying qualifying situations — including doubled‑up housing, motels, shelters, cars, parks, substandard housing, transitional housing and unaccompanied youth — and advised to use nonstigmatizing language (for example, "temporary housing situation" instead of "homeless") when speaking with families. The McKinney‑Vento housing questionnaire must be available in enrollment packets and online registration; completion is voluntary, but staff were instructed to email completed questionnaires to the homeless liaison promptly because delays can affect enrollment, meal eligibility and fee waivers.
The training clarified that the foster student program is distinct from McKinney‑Vento: foster students are not classified as homeless for McKinney‑Vento funding purposes and homeless program funds cannot be used for foster student expenses. When a student enters foster care, the district holds a best‑interest determination "bid" meeting within five working days that includes caseworkers, foster care liaisons, special services staff, principals and parents to decide school placement, taking into account factors such as IEP/504 needs and transportation.
Staff were reminded that housing questionnaires are confidential and must be kept in separate homeless student folders rather than cumulative files. The Family Resource Center, donation funded, offers clothing, shoes, hygiene products, backpacks and classroom supplies and operates occasional Saturday hours (announced via HUSD social media and school newsletters); the Teacher’s Closet provides donated classroom materials for staff during those events.
For referrals and questions, staff were given the HUSD homeless liaison contact: Lisa Kritenstein, family resource specialist and homeless and foster student liaison, HUSD district office, 6901 East Bear Path, Room 114; (928) 759‑5104; Frc@humboldtunified.com; lisa.kritenstein@humboldtunified.com. The training concluded with presenters congratulating staff on completing the required annual McKinney‑Vento and foster‑student training and urging staff to contact the liaison with questions.
