Currently, Poudre School District has identified 7% more students experiencing some form of homelessness or housing insecurity as compared to the same time last year. The student and family needs within this program continue to grow as well, and due to historical trends, it's anticipated that McKinney numbers will increase by 10% this school year.
By the end of the 2022-23 school year, PSD identified 1,438 students K through 12th-grade, or almost 5% of our student population, who qualified for McKinney-Vento services.
McKinney-Vento is a federal law and PSD program designed to provide students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with resources and protections. The main focus is to remove the educational barriers that those students face, placing an emphasis on immediate enrollment, attendance, and success. McKinney-Vento services are available to all PSD children and youth, from birth to 21 years of age, who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Learn more about McKinney Vento on PSD’s McKinney-Vento web page.
How you can help:
- Raise awareness - November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, and National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is Nov. 11-18. Please share this information with your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and take the initiative to learn more about youth homelessness and its challenges.
- Wear green – Green is the official color of Homeless Youth Awareness Month. Our McKinney-Vento staff and site McKinney-Vento Contacts will be wearing green on Wednesdays throughout the month to help bring attention to issue of homeless children, youth, and families in our community. Please feel free to join us in this show of solidarity.
- Donate - PSD’s McKinney-Vento program accepts monetary donations which are used to purchase things like gas cards, grocery cards, school supplies, undergarments/socks, clothing, coats, hygiene and household supplies, food, concurrent enrollment supplies, and much more. Our goal is to provide services that remove barriers and create a welcoming and safe school environment so that students can come to school, engage in learning, and succeed.
To make a donation:
- Make a check out to PSD and write McKinney-Vento in the memo line, OR
- Use School Pay to donate through the "Emergency Support" fund to donate to students experiencing homelessness.
Learn More About McKinney-Vento in PSD: Contact Whitney Reid, PSD’s Homeless Education Program Specialist, at 970-490-3242, or via email at wreid@psdschools.org.