Homeless students may attend school in the school of origin or the new school of residence. The school of origin is defined as the district in which the student attended prior to becoming homeless. The school of residence is defined as the district where the homeless student has temporary shelter. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires the districts to make a best interest determination of where a homeless student should attend school.
The U.S. Department of Education has advised that, to the extent feasible, a homeless child should be kept in the "school of origin" unless doing so is contrary to the wishes of the child's parent or guardian. The placement determination should be a student-centered, individualized determination that considers things like the age of the student, the distance of a commute, personal safety issues, a student's need for special instruction, the length of anticipated stay in a temporary shelter or other temporary location, and the time remaining in the school year. If the district wishes to send a homeless student to a school other than the school of origin or a school requested by the parent or guardian, the district must provide a written explanation of its decision to the parent or guardian, together with a statement regarding the right to appeal the placement decision.
For more information about enrolling homeless students, please see the U.S. Department of Education's guidance document (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/guidance.pdf) or contact OSBA's division of legal services.