Under federal and state law, children and youth experiencing homelessness have a right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (federal law) provides assistance to states to help them ensure educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This program helps State Educational Agencies (SEAs) ensure that homeless children, including preschoolers and youths, have equal access to FAPE, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youth.
Consistent with the McKinney-Vento Act, children experiencing homelessness are to be provided services comparable to those received by other students in the school they attend, including transportation services, and education programs for which such students are otherwise eligible, such as services provided under McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 or similar state or local programs and programs for students with disabilities.
State law also addresses the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Texas Education Code (TEC) §§ 25.001, 25.002, and 29.153 address educational rights concerning school admission and preschool for homeless students.
For additional information or resources, please contact the ESC-2 McKinney-Vento Liaisons:
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Valarie Buhidar (361) 561-8612 |
Yvonnne Benavides (361) 561-8674 |
Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to designate an appropriate staff member as their local McKinney-Vento liaison. The liaison assists with ensuring that children in homeless situations are identified as homeless, are enrolled in school, and are receiving the educational services for which they are eligible.
Region 2 District Homeless Liasons:
| DISTRICT | CONTACT | |
| AGUA DULCE ISD | MRS EUGENIA VALLES | gvalles@adisd.net |
| ALICE ISD | DR ALMA GARCIA | dralma.garcia@aliceisd.net |
| ARANSAS COUNTY ISD | MRS ALICIA LUTTMAN | aluttman@acisd.org |
| ARANSAS PASS ISD | MARIA MORALES | mmorales@apisd.org |
| BANQUETE ISD | MS LESLIE DAVIS | ldavis@banqueteisd.net |
| BEEVILLE ISD | MARTINA VILLARREAL | mvillarreal1@beevilleisd.net |
| BEN BOLT-PALITO BLANCO ISD | DR MARCELA BAEZ | mbaez@bbpbschools.net |
| BENAVIDES ISD | DR MARISA CHAPA | mchapa@benavidesisd.net |
| BISHOP CISD | DR EDEN HERNANDEZ | ehernandez@bishopcisd.net |
| CALALLEN ISD | SONYA DURRWACHTER | sdurrwachter@calallen.org |
| CORPUS CHRISTI ISD | MRS SUSANA MAJORS | susana.majors@ccisd.us |
| CORPUS CHRISTI MONTESSORI SCHOOL | MS CERISE WEEKS | cerise@cc-montessori.org |
| DR M L GARZA-GONZALEZ CHARTER SCHOOL | ANITA HINOJOSA | anita.hinojosa@gcclr.org |
| DRISCOLL ISD | MS JENNIFER KILLION | jkillion@driscollisd.us |
| FLOUR BLUFF ISD | DR LINDA BARGANSKI | lbarganski@flourbluffschools.net |
| FREER ISD | MR CONRAD CANTU | ccantu@freerisd.net |
| GEORGE WEST ISD | SANDRA MUSQUEZ | smusquez@gwisd.us |
| GREGORY-PORTLAND ISD | MARTHA ROSE | MROSE@g-pisd.org |
| INGLESIDE ISD | KAREN MIRCOVICH | karen.mircovich@inglesideisd.org |
| KENEDY COUNTY WIDE CSD | KRISTIN TINSLEY | ktinsley@saritaschool.net |
| KINGSVILLE ISD | DR JUAN SANDOVAL | jsandoval@kingsvilleisd.com |
| LA GLORIA ISD | MR DAVID BRASWELL | dbraswell@lagloriaisd.esc2.net |
| LONDON ISD | NICOLE RODRIGUEZ | nrodriguez@londonisd.net |
| MATHIS ISD | MR ERNESTO DELUNA | edeluna@mathisisd.org |
| MCMULLEN COUNTY ISD | JOEL TRUDEAU | jtrudeau@mcisd.us |
| ODEM-EDROY ISD | MRS JANA KIESCHNICK | kieschnickj@oeisd.org |
| ORANGE GROVE ISD | MRS DANA SCOTT | dscott@ogisd.net |
| PAWNEE ISD | MRS JOYCE HOMEYER | jhomeyer@pawneeisd.net |
| PETTUS ISD | JOANN GUTIERREZ | jgutierrez@pettusisd.com |
| PORT ARANSAS ISD | MRS KATHRYN P PATTESON | patteson@paisd.net |
| PREMONT ISD | LILLY RODRIGUEZ | lrodriguez@premontisd.net |
| RAMIREZ CSD | GLORIA HAMILL | ghamill@ramirezcsd.net |
| RICARDO ISD | MS MONIKA GARZA | monikagarza@ricardoisd.us |
| RIVIERA ISD | DR CARMEN BAHN-KRAATZ | cbahnkraatz@rivieraisd.us |
| ROBSTOWN ISD | NATALINE HALL | nataline.hall@robstownisd.net |
| SAN DIEGO ISD | MRS SARAH MCCASLAND | smccasland@sdisd.us |
| SANTA GERTRUDIS ISD | FATIMA GARCIA | fgarcia@sgisd.net |
| SEASHORE CHARTER SCHOOLS | CHRISTOPHER DANIELS | christopher.daniels@seashorecharterschools.com |
| SINTON ISD | MRS GINA GUAJARDO | gguajardo@sintonisd.net |
| SKIDMORE-TYNAN ISD | OPHELIA DE LOS SANTOS | OPHELIA.DELOSSANTOS@STBOBCATS.NET |
| ST MARY'S ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL | MR MERLE SIMONSON | ssimonson@smacs.net |
| TAFT ISD | KATY BALLESTEROS | katy.ballesteros@taftisd.net |
| THREE RIVERS ISD | MS AUDRA HUFF | ahuff@trisd.org |
| TULOSO-MIDWAY ISD | MS MELODIE MCCLARREN | mmcclarren@tmisd.us |
| WEST OSO ISD | KIMBERLY MOORE | Kimberly.Moore@westosoisd.net |
If you'd like to reach out directly to the TEHCY Program and Technical Support Center, you can call: 1-800-446-3142 or fill out the TEHCY contact request form.
MCKINNEY-VENTO RESOURCES
Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
- COVID-19 Resource Page
- Resources by Topic and by Audience
- Webinars
- Trainings
- Transition-Age Youth (TAY) Life Skills Study Guides
Financial Aid Resources
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Resources
- Federal Student Aid
- Financial Aid Toolkit
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Application and Verification Guide for Higher Education
Texas Education Agency - Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program
McKinney-Vento Posters
LEAs should collaborate with their school staff and community partners (e.g. food pantries, faith-based organizations, local housing authorities, shelters, etc.) to share printed copies of this poster.
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McKinney-Vento Posters for Parents of School-Age Youth English Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Parents of School-Age Youth Spanish Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Unaccompanied Youth English Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Unaccompanied Youth Spanish Version
Homeless Student School Determination
Students who are experiencing homelessness have the right to attend school in their school of origin or in the school in the attendance area where the family or youth is currently residing. School of origin is defined as the school in which the child/youth was enrolled when they became homeless or the school in which the child/youth was last enrolled. The campus a child attends is determined by which campus can serve the best interests of the child. In Texas, a student experiencing homelessness may enroll in any district they choose, regardless of the location of their residence, school of origin, or attendance zone campus.
School Selection Provisions from the McKinney-Vento Act and the Texas Education Code
Dispute Resolution
Disagreements over school enrollment and best interest determinations must be resolved through the dispute resolution process. While in the dispute resolution process, the child is entitled to attend the campus in question until the matter is resolved.
Transportation
Students experiencing homelessness have the right to transportation to their school of origin. This provision applies even if a student moves outside of the school of origins’ attendance zone or district boundaries. School of origin transportation must continue for the duration of the child’s homelessness or until the end of the school year in which a child becomes permanently housed.
Title I Services
Students experiencing homelessness who are not on a Title-I campus are eligible to receive Title-I services. These services are provided at the discretion of the LEA through existing Title-I programs or through the use of Title-I, Part A set-aside funds for students who are not on Title-I campuses. Students on Title-I campuses may receive additional supplemental services to the services being provided on their campus through the Title-I, Part A set-asides as well. Services may include personal school supplies, items of clothing that are necessary to meet a school’s dress requirement, immunizations, supplemental counseling services, tutoring, costs associated with credit recovery, or other similar activities to address a child’s opportunity for school success.
Community Resources
Please click here for community resources
Texas Network of Youth Services Provider Directory
