Services for Homeless Students

Western Heights Public Schools works to ensure that all students receive a quality education and the resources they need to succeed. All students regardless of economic situation or living situation are entitled to an education. Your student may qualify for certain rights under the McKinney Vento Act if you live in any of the following situations: In a shelter, motel, campground, abandoned building, bus station or doubled up due to lose of housing or economic hardship.

MCKINNEY-VENTO DEFINITION OF HOMELESS

The term “homeless children and youth”—

means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and
includes —
- children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;
- children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings…;
- children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
- migratory children…who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

UNDER THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT

Eligible students have the right to:

Attend their school of origin, if this is in the student’s best interest, or the local attendance area school. The school of origin is the school the student attended before losing housing or the school the student last attended.
Enroll in the new local school immediately, even if lacking documentation normally required for enrollment, such as previous school records, immunization or medical records, birth certificate, proof of residency, or proof of guardianship, or other documents.
The terms “enroll” and “enrollment” includes attending classes and participating fully in all school activities.
Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students, including transportation, before and after school programs, counseling services, Title I programs, special education services if the child has a disability, bilingual, vocational, gifted and talented programs, free school breakfast and lunch.

STUDENTS MAY QUALIFY FOR THE FOLLOWING SERVICES:

ACT Fees
School clothing assistance
Backpacks
School supply assistance
Afterschool program fees
Hygiene Items
Graduation Fees
Transportation to school of origin
Community Referrals
Enrollment Assistance

COMMUNITY AGENCIES

American Red Cross 228-9500
City County Health Dept. 427-8651
City Rescue Mission 232-2709
Community Action 232-0199
Embark (bus) 235-7433
Homeless Alliance 415-8410
Infant Crisis Center 528-3663
Legal Aid 1-888-534-5243
OKC Day Shelter 415-8500
Salvation Army 246-1080

211 HEARTLINE

2-1-1 is a free, 24-hour phone service that provides Oklahomans access to information about health and human services. Highly trained 2-1-1 call specialists offer compassionate engagement and can make in-depth assessments and referral plans based on eligibility requirements for each program. We work with our callers to make a plan using our 2-1-1 database – the most comprehensive entity of its kind in the state, with more than 13,000 services available – that improves the quality of their families’ lives. We offer help in more than 200 languages and provide the public with a place to turn for nonemergency needs during times of disaster.