Jeanne Allen – Homeless Education Liaison

Jeanne Allen visited the Burley Rotary Club and discussed her role as the Cassia County School District liaison for Homeless Students.

Title X is the McKinney-Vento Act that states students who lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless, and therefore must receive services from the Local Education Agency (LEA) that will help remove barriers from a student’s education due to their homelessness.

Students in Cassia School District are identified as homeless through a process of questionnaires and phone interviews conducted by Jeanne.  Federal law requires this process take place twice a year—once at registration and again in January.

Currently, Cassia School District serves over 50 students and their families. Through federal funds we are able to assist identified students with fees and costs associated with academic need.

As of 2016, there are 7,512 students in Idaho’s public schools that were identified as homeless. That’s 2.5% of all students enrolled.

Jeanne discussed the immediate needs in our area and our collected efforts to help.