Jackson School Board approves evaluation of district's homeless program

The homeless student population in the Jackson School District has nearly doubled in the past two school years, according to a program and services evaluation presented at Monday's Jackson School Board meeting.

There are 50 students identified as homeless in Jackson's public schools this year, up from 27 in 2009-2010, according to Beth Emmendorfer, Jackson's associate superintendent of Student Services.

The number seemed to catch many on the school board by surprise.

"That's more than I would have expected," board member T. Wayne Lewis said.

As required by the No Child Left Behind Act, school districts must have policies and procedures in place on enrolling and serving students who fall under the definition of homeless. Emmendorfer said defining homelessness goes beyond the basic concept of someone who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. Oftentimes, a homeless family may be living with family members or friends, a situation known as "doubling up," but that's not a fixed living condition.

"If at anytime that family could be kicked out of that home, then they would fall under that homeless status," Emmendorfer said.

The language is specific. Under the act, to be homeless includes anyone who is:

• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds due to the lack of adequate alternative accommodations.
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Awaiting foster care placement.
• Living in a public or private place not designed for human living.
• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or a similar setting.
• Migratory children and unaccompanied teens living in the above circumstances.

"I think a lot of times we all think that a homeless person is someone who lives in a car, but it really is a bigger, broader definition than that," Emmendorfer said.

The district, Emmendorfer said, has done a lot of work over the past few years assisting key staff in identifying homeless students. The district's homeless coordinator is charged with training school social workers, counselors, secretaries and administrators on how to enroll homeless students.

Under the policy, homeless students automatically are entitled to free school lunches. District officials cannot require immunization records as an enrollment requirement. If a homeless student shows up without records, the district must begin enrollment, and then try to dig up records or help the family get the student immunized, Emmendorfer said.

"And as long as they stay in the district, they can stay in that homeless status for the entire school year, and we re-evaluate each school year," she said.

The board unanimously approved the homeless program evaluation.

In other business, the school board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the sale of bonds.

It's a refinancing move, said Jackson superintendent Ron Anderson, designed to save the district as much as $50,000 in interest. The bonds, originally issued in 2001 at $6 million for Jackson Junior High construction, carry an outstanding principle value of $4.67 million, according to the resolution.

The board's approval grants Anderson and other district officers the authority to carry out the sale.

mkittle@semissourian.com

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