Federal Programs :: Homeless Student Programs
The Georgetown Independent School District, through the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Project, helps provide educational services and referrals to health and other appropriate services to students who are homeless.
Under the definition of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, the term "homeless" includes individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accomodation; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; are awaiting foster care placement, or who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or other places not designed or ordinarily used as sleeping accomodations.
A wide variety of services and assistance are available to homeless students, both from the school district and state and community organizations. Services available from GISD include:
- School
Transportation Service
GISD provides students experiencing homelessness with transportation to and from school, even if the student is now living outside the attendance area of the school originally enrolled in when living in permanent housing - Free
and Reduced Meal Program
Free and reduced cost lunches and breakfasts are available to students if families are homeless or have no known address, receive food stamps or cash assistance such as AFDC or TANF, or their total household income falls below established income guidelines. - Other Education Services and Programs
- Tutoring programs to help students make up missed school work and help students overcome problems they may be having with their studies.
- Counseling services to help students with school-related problems, family issues, and community services.
- Pre-kindergarten program
- After-school programs, such as Extended Care Enrichment and the After-School Action Program
- Other academic support services
Related Links:
For more information about resources or programs in GISD or the community available to assist families experiencing homelessness, visit the links above, or contact:
Zelinda Richards
Family Specialist
Georgetown Independent School District
2295 N. Austin Ave.
Georgetown, TX 78626
Email: richardsz@georgetownisd.org
Phone: 512-943-5130 x. 7390
