The Education for Homeless Children and Youths (EHCY) program, authorized under the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act), is designed to address the needs of homeless children and youths and ensure educational rights and protections for these children and youths.  At Big Foot High School we refer to students who qualify under McKinney-Vento Act as students and families in transition.

Research and data, including surveys of families in transition, homeless and formerly homeless youths, indicate that experiencing transition and homelessness can have significant negative impacts on children academically, socially, and emotionally.

• Students experience greater school mobility than their non-homeless peers. School mobility can cause interruptions to a child’s education and is associated with lower school achievement and an increased risk of dropping out of school.

• Students are at a greater risk of being chronically absent than their non-homeless peers.Chronic absenteeism is associated with lower academic achievement and higher dropout rates.

• Students face significant gaps in high school graduation rates compared to their peers, according to data from the States that disaggregate graduation rates for homeless youths.

Students in transition who move out of the district have the right to remain in their schools of origin (i.e., the school the student attended when permanently housed or in which the student was last enrolled, which includes preschools) if that is in the student’s best interest.

• If it is in the student’s best interest to change schools, students in transition must be immediately enrolled in a new school, even if they do not have the records normally required for enrollment 

• Transportation must be provided to or from a student’s school of origin, at the request of a parent, guardian, or, in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the local liaison 

• Students in transition must have access to all programs and services for which they are eligible, including special education services, preschool, school nutrition programs, language assistance for English learners, career and technical education, gifted and talented programs, magnet schools, charter schools, summer learning, online learning, and beforeand after-school care

• Unaccompanied youths must be accorded specific protections, including immediate enrollment in school without proof of guardianship

• Parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youths have the right to dispute an eligibility, school selection, or enrollment decision

Stacie Sheppard is the McKinney-Vento liaison for Big Foot Union High School. If you are aware of a student or family in transition living in the Big Foot High School District please contact Stacie Sheppard at slsheppard@bigfoot.k12.wi.us or (262) 394-4513.