Students Without Housing

The McKinney Vento Act ensures all students have the right to an education regardless of their housing situation. The Act defines the term homeless as students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. 

The ACA liasion for students without housing works with students and their families who may meet the criteria of the McKinney Vento Act to provide students access to appropriate services such as nutrition, application and enrollment, targeted assistance programs, coordinated community services, and other applicable services.

Students and parents have rights when it comes to education! ACA can assist you in knowing your rights.  If you are staying temporarily with someone else because you lost your housing, or staying in a motel, campground, shelter, or in an outside or inadequate place, you and your children have special rights at school.  Those rights include:

• Free and appropriate public education
• Assistance with application enrollment, even if you do not have all of the required documents for enrollment
• Enroll in ACA and attend classes if a seat is available in the appropriate grade level with no wait list OR be added to the wait list
• Continue attending the school of origin if it is best for the student
• Receive assistance with transportation
• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other children according to your child's personal needs.

 

For further assistance or more information, please contact the McKinney Vento Liasion or review the resource available below:

Liasion: Courtney Boswell, courtney.boswell@acaedu.net, 817-987-1819

 

RESOURCES

• Arlington Charities
• Arlington Life Shelter
• Arlington Urban Ministries
• Catholic Charities of Fort Worth
• Mission Arlington
• National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
• Promise Youth Shelter
• Safehaven of Tarrant County
• School House Connection
• Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth
• The Salvation Army