Duxbury Public Schools provides various types of support for students experiencing homelessness in order to help them attend school consistently. Eligible families may be living in shelters or may not have their own lease because they temporarily stay with family members or acquaintances due to economic hardship or similar reasons. Contact Beth Wilcox, Assistant Superintendent and the district’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Act Coordinator, at 781-934-7600.

The McKinney-Vento Act covers children and youth without fixed, adequate, and regular nighttime residence, including living …

• in a shelter;

• in a motel, hotel, or campground;

• in a car, bus, train station, an abandoned building;

• or some other inadequate accommodation or with other people due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason (also known as doubled up).

This includes migrant and unaccompanied youth living in the above situations.

Youth who are out of the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian and lack fixed, regular, and adequate housing have all the rights of other homeless students.

Preschool children living in homeless situations have the same rights as other homeless children and youth.

Students enrolling under McKinney-Vento have the right to:

• Continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is their family's preference and is feasible

• At their family's request, receive transportation to and from the school of origin (if appropriate)

• Or, enroll in the local school immediately and attend classes, even if the required documents are lacking (transportation is provided in same manner as is for other students in the district)

• Appeal district enrollment decisions

• Access special education services if the student has a current IEP

• Participate in any school activity that is available to other students

• Receive free school meals