Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Homelessness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MCPS reports surge in McKinney‑Vento‑identified students, outlines transportation and mental‑health supports
Summary
MCPS said it currently identifies over 1,800 McKinney‑Vento students—projecting more than 2,000 by year‑end, a ~27% increase—and described immediate enrollment, transportation, meals and mental‑health supports provided under the McKinney‑Vento Act.
MCPS staff told the Education Culture Committee they currently identify more than 1,800 students under the McKinney‑Vento homelessness provisions, and they expect the number to average just over 2,000 by the end of the academic year—about a 27% increase from prior years.
"We currently have over 1,800 students identified in MCPS, but we've been averaging a little over 2,000 by the end of the academic year and that's about a 27% increase in identification," Margarita Borges told the committee. Borges outlined a set of federally required supports under the McKinney‑Vento Act—immediate enrollment, transportation and meals—and described additional local services her five‑person unit provides, including outreach, community engagement and a mental‑health grant supporting those students.
MCPS leaders and committee members emphasized the wide distribution of McKinney‑Vento students across the district and the need for cross‑departmental coordination—transportation, food services, counseling and family engagement—to maintain continuity for children who move between housing situations. Committee members asked for further detail on staffing and a possible full‑time liaison position to lead McKinney‑Vento work; MCPS said those needs and staffing models will be part of follow‑up conversations outside the budget review.
