In Our View: An Education in Homelessness

Originally signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1987 and reauthorized several times over the years, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act continues to reverberate today.

One example of the legislation’s impact, as detailed in an article by Columbian reporter Tyler Graf, is that Vancouver Public Schools spends about $300,000 each year providing transportation for homeless students to and from school — as mandated by McKinney-Vento. “If (students) start in the district but move someplace else, we’re obligated to make it happen,” said Karla Schlosser, the district’s administrator of special services. “We can’t talk to the families and say, ‘Is it really in the best interest of your child to ride on the bus for five hours to get here?’ If that family is adamant, then we’re responsible.”

Yet while the wisdom of requiring school districts to provide transportation for homeless students who have moved out of their district can be debated, we use that example not to criticize the law but rather to point out the difficulties facing schools. Working to see that homeless students — who might be bouncing between shelters or relatives’ homes from night to night — can make it to school is one of the many duties that fall these days to district administrators. That creates a difficult situation. While working out transportation schedules for students can be burdensome, there’s little doubt that the stability of attending one school throughout the year can be important to students who have little continuity in their lives.

McKinney-Vento states that homeless students must have “adequate education” — but advocates say the mandate is largely unfunded. This year, Washington received $950,000 from the federal government’s McKinney-Vento grant. The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction takes 25 percent off the top, and the rest is funneled to qualifying school districts. For those who argue in favor of increased funding, however, we bring up the same question that always must be asked: Where do they suggest cuts be made in the federal budget?

Meanwhile, the issue of homeless students is becoming more and more pressing for school districts. According to information provided by administrators, Vancouver Public Schools served 850 homeless students during the 2012-13 school year, while Evergreen Public Schools had 509. Statewide, there are more than 27,000 homeless students in Washington — an increase of 9,000 over the past five years.

School districts are tasked with providing liaison officers to connect with homeless families, working to identify at-risk students and providing support for homeless students. All of which means that the increasing numbers of such students is resulting in additional costs for districts.

Yet, the cost to society as a whole might be relatively small. The cycle of homelessness and poverty can churn from generation to generation, with children who grow up in such circumstances often being unable to take advantage of educational opportunities — which leads to poverty that is passed down to their children. Helping students find some security in school is one crucial method for breaking that cycle. As Anne Galvas, homeless liaison for Vancouver Public Schools, said: “When their home lives are so chaotic — when they get here, school is one of the most stable places they have.”

Providing assistance for homeless students now can help make them productive adults and reduce the costs to society down the road. That would be a bargain for all of us.