2018 Revised Code of Washington
Title 28A - COMMON SCHOOL PROVISIONS
28A.300 Superintendent of public instruction.
28A.300.542 Homeless students—Grant process to identify students and district capacity for support—Award criteria—Districts' responsibilities.

RCW 28A.300.542 Homeless students—Grant process to identify students and district capacity for support—Award criteria—Districts' responsibilities.

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall create a competitive grant process to evaluate and award state-funded grants to school districts to increase identification of homeless students and the capacity of the districts to provide support, which may include education liaisons, for homeless students. The process must complement any similar federal grant program or programs in order to minimize agency overhead and administrative costs for the superintendent of public instruction and school districts. School districts may access both federal and state funding to identify and support homeless students.

(2) Award criteria for the state grants must be based on the demonstrated need of the school district and may consider the number or overall percentage, or both, of homeless children and youths enrolled in preschool, elementary, and secondary schools in the school district, and the ability of the local school district to meet these needs. Award criteria for these must also be based on the quality of the applications submitted. Preference must be given to districts that demonstrate a commitment to serving the needs of unaccompanied youth.

(3) Districts receiving grants must measure during the academic year how often each student physically moves, what services families or unaccompanied youth could access, and whether or not a family or unaccompanied youth received stable housing by the end of the school year.

(4) Homeless students are defined as students without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento homeless education assistance act (P.L. 100–77; 101 Stat. 482).

(5) School districts may not use funds allocated under this section to supplant existing federal, state, or local resources for homeless student supports, which may include education liaisons.

[ 2016 c 157 § 2.]

NOTES:

Finding—Intent—Short title—2016 c 157: See notes following RCW 28A.300.540.