Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 200 - Board of Education
Chapter 20 - Council on Elementary and Secondary Education
Subchapter 30 - Student Supports
Part 5 - State Regulations Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Section 200-RICR-20-30-5.4 - Responsibilities of Districts
Current through September 18, 2024
A. Out-Reach Responsibilities. A school district must ensure, "the enrollment and attendance of [H]omeless [C]hildren and [Y]ouths who are not currently attending school," as per the McKinney Vento Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11432g(3)(C). Schools must revise their policies so that these policies do not act as a barrier to the enrollment and retention of Homeless Children.
B. Comparable Services. School districts shall provide each Homeless Child and Youth with services comparable to the services offered to other students, as per 42 U.S.C. § 11432g(4), including transportation services and educational services for which the Homeless Child or Youth meets the eligibility criteria, such as pre-school, compensatory education, special education, LEP, vocational education, gifted and talented, school meal programs, and before- and after-school care programs.
C. Prevention of Isolation and Stigmatization. A school district shall adopt policies and practices to ensure that Homeless Children and Youth are not isolated or stigmatized, as per 42 U.S.C. § 11432g(1)(J)(i). Homelessness alone shall not be sufficient reason to separate students from the mainstream school environment. Districts may not maintain segregated schools or facilities for Homeless Children and Youth. A school district may separate Homeless Students from other students only as necessary for short periods of time to deal with health or safety emergencies, or to provide temporary, special, and supplementary services to meet the unique needs of Homeless Students.
D. Opportunity to Meet Challenging Performance Standards. Homeless Students shall have access to the education and other services that they need to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to meet the same challenging State student performance standards to which all students are held accountable, as per 42 U.S.C. § 11432g(4).
E. District Liaisons for Homeless Children and Youth. Every school district will designate a staff person to serve as a liaison for Homeless Students, as per 42 U.S.C. § 11432g(6). The liaison will help ensure that Homeless Students enroll in, and have a full opportunity to succeed in the schools of the district. The responsibilities of the liaison include ensuring that: