Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program
All Texas public schools, charter schools, and education services centers, collectively known as local education agencies (LEAs), must follow federal rules concerning the education of homeless students. These requirements are detailed in the McKinney-Vento Act.
ARP Homeless II Federal Grant
Webinar
TEA hosted a webinar to provide information on ARP Homeless II for prospective grantees. During this webinar, the TEA Grants Department provided an overview of the eGrant application and how to apply. Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (TEHCY) Program staff reviewed the requirements for receiving funds, the timeline for submitting your application, and the allowable expenditures for grantees.
- ARP Homeless II Grant Information (PDF Presentation)
- eGrant Application Process (PDF Presentation)
- ARP Homeless II Webinar Recording
- ARP Homeless II Program Guidelines
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act - 16 Allowable Activities
McKinney-Vento Liaisons
Every Local Education Agency (LEA) must designate an appropriate staff person as a local homeless education/McKinney-Vento Liaison and submit that person's name to TEA. This information is to be submitted to the AskTED online directory by the LEA's AskTED administrator. AskTED is TEA's online Texas Education Directory (TED). AskTED is the database where the homeless education liaison's contact information is maintained.
The information in the TEHCY website directory is updated periodically from the AskTED directory. LEAs are no longer required to input this information directly to the TEHCY directory.
To learn how to use AskTED to access McKinney-Vento Liaison contact information directly, download the PDF instructions.
|
ESC |
Name |
Title |
|
Phone # |
Webpage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Jessica Viacobo |
School Counseling and Health Specialist |
(956) 984-6015 |
||
|
2 |
Valarie Buhidar |
Education Specialist- State & Federal Programs |
(361) 561-8612 |
||
|
3 |
Rosanne Wagner |
Counselor Specialist |
(361) 573-0731 ext. 138 |
||
|
4 |
LaShonda Evans |
Education Specialist |
(713) 744-6380 |
Accountability and Leadership--Homeless Education Program (esc4.net) |
|
|
5 |
Brenda Thompson |
MV Liaison / Program Specialist |
(409) 951-1877 |
||
|
6 |
Albert H. Archuleta |
Education Specialist - Title I Part C Migrant, McKinney-Vento Liaison, and Foster Care |
(936) 435-8228 |
||
|
7 |
Leslie Dowdle |
Specialist |
(903) 988-6904 |
||
|
8 |
Marilu Calixto |
Migrant Specialist & McKinney-Vento Liaison |
(903) 575-2668 |
||
|
9 |
Lacy Murphey |
School Counseling Specialist |
(940) 322-6928 |
Region 9 ESC - McKinney-Vento – Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (esc9.net) |
|
|
10 |
Sonia Rhykerd |
Homeless and Foster Care Consultant |
(972) 348-1552 |
||
|
11 |
Lesley Cathey |
REACH Project Team Lead |
(817) 740-7709 |
||
|
12 |
Amberly Walker |
Education Specialist, McKinney-Vento Liaison, Federal Programs |
(254) 297-1251 |
||
|
13 |
Cheryl Myers |
Education Specialist/ McKinney -Vento Liaison |
(512) 919-5462 |
||
|
14 |
Tina Haywood |
McKinney-Vento/Foster Care Consultant |
(325) 675-8624 |
||
|
15 |
Ella Nichols |
McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison |
(325) 481-4062 |
||
|
16 |
Miriam Lynch |
Education Specialist - Homeless School Support Services |
(806) 206-7378 |
||
|
17 |
Angie Watson |
Education Specialist |
(806) 281-5862 |
||
|
18 |
Paul Hidalgo |
Educational Consultant for State and Federal Programs |
(432) 567-3225 |
https://www.esc18.net/apps/pages/title-I-part-A-homeless-fostercare |
|
|
19 |
Manuel Aldaco |
ESC Region 19 McKinney-Vento Liaison |
(915) 780-5316 |
||
|
20 |
Karina Gonzalez |
Consultant, Migrant Academic Counseling and Support Services |
(210) 370-5773 |
https://www.esc20.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1669742&type=d&pREC_ID=1820382 |
McKinney-Vento 101 Resources
- McKinney-Vento 101 Webinar - September 27, 2022
- Sample Student Residence Questionnaire (PDF)
- Sample Intake Form (PDF)
- Immunization Flow Chart (PDF)
- Sample Transportation Letter (PDF)
- Sample FAFSA Verification Form (PDF)
- Dispute Resolution (PDF)
Homeless Student Identification Data
Every LEA must identify students experiencing homelessness within their district. This process must be done regularly and in a way that is auditable. In Texas, most districts choose to use a student residency questionnaire to help determine whether or not students qualify as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.
The Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program Infographic summarizes identification and graduation data for students experiencing homelessness enrolled in Texas public schools for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 school years.
McKinney-Vento Posters
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released new McKinney-Vento Posters. There are two versions of the poster, one to assist parents of school-age youth and a second to assist unaccompanied youth. The posters are available in both English and Spanish.
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) can download the digital files below and post this information on their LEA homeless education program webpage.
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.
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Parents English Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Parents Spanish Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Youth English Version
- McKinney-Vento Posters for Youth Spanish Version
Homeless Student Enrollment
Students who are experiencing homelessness are to be enrolled immediately. Districts cannot require students experiencing homelessness to provide proof of residency, immunizations, birth certificates guardianship documents, or any other sort of required paperwork before enrolling. Requiring missing paperwork or any other delay to enrollment is a violation of the McKinney-Vento Act.
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
- Checklist for McKinney-Vento School Choice Considerations
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.
For more information about homeless students, services, and opportunities, please visit the Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth website.
Cal Lopez
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education State Coordinator
(512) 463-9017
Jordan Brown
TEHCY Program Specialist
(512) 463-9467
Texas Education for Homeless Children and Youth (TEHCY) Program
Highly Mobile and At-Risk Student Programs Division
HomelessEducation@tea.texas.gov