McKinney-Vento Education

Medway School Department follows the provisions of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

McKinney-Vento requires Medway School Department to ensure that students remain enrolled with MSAD#51, despite their challenging living circumstances, should their parent, guardian or an unaccompanied minor choose. An unaccompanied minor is a homeless child or youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

A parent/guardian/unaccompanied minor may also elect to leave Medway School Department and newly enroll in the district where they currently reside.

Under McKinney-Vento, homeless students are guaranteed the right to a free, appropriate, public education. When students become homeless, they can remain enrolled in Medway School Department, although they might no longer meet residency requirements. McKinney-Vento also guarantees homeless students the right to enroll in a public school even if they lack the typically required documents and immunizations. In addition, homeless students are guaranteed the transportation they need to attend school. Homeless students will also be offered no-cost school breakfast and lunch options.

According to McKinney-Vento, homeless students are individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residences, including children and youth:

• Sharing housing due to loss of housing or economic hardship
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate housing
• Living in emergency or transitional housing
• Abandoned in hospitals
• Awaiting foster care
• Having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations
• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
• Migratory students meeting the descriptions above