Homeless Resources for Staff

District Procedures and Forms

Administrative Procedure 6129: Enrollment of Children and Youth in Transition

Dispute Resolution Process and Forms

Enrollment Related Forms

Modified Graduation Information

Request for School Clothing and Supplies

Other

General Resources

Educational Rights of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness

This is not a complete list of educational rights. Please refer to district Administrative Procedure 6129 for more complete information.

  1. Immediate Enrollment in School. Students experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied homeless youth*, must be enrolled immediately (the day they arrive) even they do not have records normally required for enrollment such as birth certificate, proof of residency, immunization or health records, or previous academic records. If the student needs immunizations, the school nurse will assist in obtaining them.

  2. Educational Placement Decisions Based on School of Origin and the Child's Best Interest. Educational and school placement decisions must be based on the child's best interests, and consider, among other factors, educational stability. Students experiencing homelessness have the choice of attending their school of origin, to the extent feasible, or to attend the school of attendance (neighborhood school) where they spend their nights. The school of origin is defined as the school the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled.

  3. Equitable Access to School Services. Students experiencing homelessness must have equitable access to academic resources, services, enrichment, and extracurricular activities that are available to all other students.

  4. Timely Transfer of Educational Records. Within two business days of enrolling a student experiencing homelessness, the school must contact the previous school to request the child's educational records. The student must be enrolled while the educational records are being obtained. If the student transfers out of the district, the school must forward the student's educational records within two business days.

  5. Transportation to the School of Origin. At the parent/guardian's request, a student experiencing homelessness must be provided transportation to and from his or her school of origin.

  6. Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. An unaccompanied youth who is 14 years or older must be permitted access to his or her educational records and may provide consent for release of records to others.

  7. Option for Eligible 11th and 12th Graders to Meet Modified Graduation Requirements. A student experiencing homelessness may qualify for exemption from coursework and other district graduation requirements that are in addition to the state graduation requirements if both of the following apply (1) The student transfers between schools any time after the completion of the student's second year of high school. The year of school based on either the number of credits earned or length of time of enrollment, whichever will make a student eligible; and, 2) The district determines that the student is not reasonably able to complete district graduation requirements by the end of the student's fourth year of high school.

  8. Dispute Resolution Process. If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment in a school, the child or youth shall be immediately admitted to the school in which enrollment is sought, pending resolution of the dispute. In the case of an unaccompanied youth, the homeless liaison will ensure that the youth is immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of the dispute.

*Unaccompanied homeless youth is a youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian and who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Unaccompanied youth are ensured the same educational rights that the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides other students who are homeless.

Requesting a Bus/Transit Pass:

Transportation for Students Experiencing Homelessness and Students in Foster Care to Attend their School of Origin.

Students in foster care and students experiencing homelessness may be eligible for a bus pass to attend their school of origin if minimum distrance requirement are met. Staff can request a bus pass for eligible students using the Bus/Transit Pass Request Form for students in foster care or students experiencing homelessness.

The purpose of providing a bus/transit pass for students in foster care and student experiencing homelessness is to promote school stability by enabling the student to attend their school of origin if it is in their best interest to do so. A student's school of origin is the school he or she attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled.

Eligibility Criteria. Please submit a request for bus/transit pass only if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Student's residential status is coded as "homeless" or "foster" in PowerSchool.

  2. Student is attending his or her school of origin. School of origin is defined as the school the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. If student is attending his or her neighborhood school, a bus/transit pass is not provided.

  3. The distance between student's current residence and school of origin is:

Kindergarten-Grade 2 Residence is 1.5 miles or more from school of origin.
Grades 3-5 Residence is 2.0 miles or more from school of origin.
Grades 6-12 Residence is 2.5 miles or more from school of origin.

To request a bus/transit pass:

  1. Make sure the student has met all eligibility criteria listed above.

  2. Submit a Bus/Transit Pass Request Formfor the student in foster care or the student experiencing homelessness.

  3. Submit a Bus/Transit Pass Request Form by the 16th of each month for a bus pass for the following month. Example: To request pass for October, submit a request by the 16th of September.

  4. If you have questions, please contact Lucy del Valle at (619) 725-7652.

Requesting School Clothing, Supplies, and Hygiene Products

District staff may request school clothing and school supplies for students experiencing homelessness. Once the request is received, approved, and filled, the district staff person completing the form will be contacted to pick up the items at the Children & Youth in Transition office, located at the Eugene Brucker Education Center, 4100 Normal St., San Diego CA 92103.

To request school clothing, school supplies, and/or hygiene items:

  1. Verify that the student is coded "homeless" in PowerSchool.

  2. Complete the School Clothing, Supplies, and Hygiene Products Request Form

  3. Submit the request form.

  4. If you have questions, please contact Lucy del Valle at (619) 725-7652 or the CYT Central Office Resource Teacher assigned to your school site.