Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness: District Approaches to Supports and Funding

• In Event: How School Districts Can Address the Needs of Students Furthest From Opportunity

Abstract

Approximately 1.3 million k–12 public school students across the United States were identified as experiencing homelessness in 2019–20 (National Center for Homeless Education, 2021). However, given that identifying students experiencing homelessness is a significant challenge for many districts, this estimate is likely an undercount. Students experiencing homelessness endure a range of living arrangements. Some live with their families in motels, hotels, or doubled- or tripled-up with family or friends. Others live on the streets or in shelters. In all these situations, students can lose a sense of security and stability. They may also struggle to find a quiet place to complete homework, attend school regularly, and remain engaged in school. Students living unaccompanied after being kicked out can face especially harmful circumstances. In all cases, the stress, instability, trauma, and school mobility created by homelessness increases risks to physical, social, and emotional health and to educational engagement and achievement. Further, housing instability can have negative impacts on students even after the period of homelessness ends.

This study examines how districts address the needs of students experiencing homelessness, the resources they use, the challenges they face, and their efforts to confront these challenges. Three research questions guided our inquiry:
1. How do districts support students experiencing homelessness?
2. How do districts fund and staff their programs supporting students experiencing homelessness?
3. What challenges do districts confront in meeting the needs of students experiencing homelessness?

For the study, we purposefully selected five school districts receiving McKinney-Vento funds that have been recognized for their commitment to addressing the needs of students experiencing homelessness. To identify districts, we reviewed documents and publications (e.g., research studies, annual reports, peer-reviewed journal articles) and spoke with national experts who work with McKinney-Vento liaisons. Five districts, Browning Public Schools (Montana), Cincinnati Public Schools (Ohio), Polk County Public Schools (Florida), Santa Fe Public Schools (New Mexico), and Spokane Public Schools (Washington) were selected to represent the range of contexts in which districts operate and approaches employed.

Through an examination of five districts’ approaches to supporting students experiencing homelessness, we have a better understanding of how district homeless programs identify and support students experiencing homelessness, how they fund and staff their programs, and how they confront the challenges they face in meeting students’ needs.

• Districts in our study used many creative strategies to identify students experiencing homelessness, but all were certain that they had not reached all eligible students.
• Districts in our study strived to provide a wide range of services to students experiencing homelessness to safeguard their educational rights.
• Staffing of homeless programs and the availability of school-based services for vulnerable students were essential for study districts’ ability to support students experiencing homelessness.
• The available funds for homeless programs in our study varied considerably across study districts, with spending between $128 and $556 per student.
• Federal and state funds are inadequate, so districts in our study needed to raise funds and blend and braid public and private funding to support their homeless programs.

Authors

• Stephanie Levin, Learning Policy Institute
  Presenting Author

• Daniel Espinoza, Learning Policy Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michael Griffith, Learning Policy Institute
  Non-Presenting Author