School districts face more homeless students

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: FREE PRESS

Southfield High School senior Lydia Taylor may not have a permanent roof over her head, but she and other homeless students have guaranteed seats at their school.
As the number of homeless students has exploded in Michigan, the federal McKinney-Vento Act forces schools nationwide to ensure students can stay in class at the same school. The law requires schools to pay for everything from school supplies to taxis to take them to school, if necessary, until the family finds a permanent place to live.
Studies show it takes students four to six months to adjust academically each time a child bounces from hotel to shelter to family or friends' couches, said Holly Holloway, program manager for the Oakland Schools Homeless Student Education Program.
"For a lot of these kids, it's the one thing they have in their lives that's stable," Holloway said of staying in one school.
As her family's BMW, Corvette and ultimately her home disappeared because of financial woes, Lydia Taylor, now 19, attended 13 schools in metro Detroit.


Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20100418/NEWS05/4180582/School-districts-face-more-homeless-students

[msongs]

1. good thing our government has lots of money for wars and killing brown people nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. My school district has had this policy for years

I'm glad to see there's a federal law. But something tells me it's probably unfunded.

[alp227]

3. Guess what? McKinney-Vento is a REPUBLICAN bill!

Wikipedia article about the act
Housing & Urban Development article

President Reagan signed this act two months after its sponsor, Rep. Stewart McKinney (R-CT) died.

I congratulate the school for helping these students emotionally and academically, but I wonder how this'll be funded given that many school districts nationwide are cutting darn near everything.

[MichiganVote]

4. Simple. It won't. In fact, it never has been.