The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This definition also includes:

• Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
• Children and youth who may be living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, shelters
• Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings, or
• Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are children who are living in similar circumstances listed above
  
  

School Enrollment

The Pennsbury School District believes that homeless youth should have access to free and appropriate public education and wishes to limit the barriers that homeless children may face. Our goal is to have the educational process continue as uninterrupted as possible while children are in homeless situations. In accordance with the McKinney-Vento Action, the Pennsbury School District will immediately enroll the homeless child or unaccompanied youth in school, even if the child or youth lacks records normally required for enrollment, such as previous academic records, medical records, proof of residency or other documentation. Please contact our Homeless Liaison, Ms. Ruffing, at the number below for more information.

Basic Education Circular on Homelessness 

Please click here to review the Basic Education Circular on Homelessness.

Students Experiencing Homelessness, Foster Care and Other Educational Instability

Please click here to review the school board policy 251

Homeless Liaison

Ms. Laurie A. Ruffing, Director of Student Services, School and Community Engagement
215-428-4181
lruffing@pennsburysd.org