Montana Schools Open to All Student Victims of Katrina

State Superintendent Linda McCulloch today announced any new students enrolling in Montana public schools as a result of Hurricane Katrina are welcome and eligible for federal program benefits.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Montana schools may experience the arrival of students leaving the aftermath of destruction. I know Montana schools will open their doors to welcome and help out these students,said Superintendent McCulloch. Schools should treat such students as ‘homeless students' to qualify for federal assistance programs. It is likely that these students will lack school and immunization records. Some will arrive without parents and be living with relatives or friends. The lack of records should not hinder any such student from enrolling immediately. OPI is working with other state education agencies in the Hurricane area to obtain this information.

The federal McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth who are: sharing the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. In compliance with this Act, children rendered homeless by the hurricane must be enrolled immediately and placed as appropriately as possible with verbal information from the parent and/or student.

As a homeless child or youth they automatically qualify for and are entitled to all of the federally funded programs offered in a school or district. This includes all of the TITLE Programs as well as IDEA and school lunch programs, noted McCulloch.
Families hosting ‘Katrina refugees may also qualify for free or reduced cost meal programs through the federal Food and Nutrition Service, explained Superintendent McCulloch.

In cases where a household from a designated disaster area moves in with another household, the displaced individuals may be considered homeless and consequently automatically eligible for free meals. The host family will have to apply to be eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits

If there are questions regarding an issue with a child or youth enrolling in and attending class in a district please contact your District Homeless Liaison or contact Terry Teichrow, State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth at 406-444-2036 or tteichrow@mt.gov.

The U.S. Department of Education is asking the Office of Public Instruction to keep track of the numbers of those children and youth who come into Montana. Please keep us informed, by e-mail, of the numbers and status of any students enrolling because of Hurricane Katrina, concluded Superintendent McCulloch. I would like to thank all students and schools who are participating in hundreds of local relief activities to aid the victims of this national disaster.

Mcmillan is an expert author, who is presently working on the site Katrina Stories. He has written many articles in various topics. For more information about Katrina Aftermath. Visit our site katrinanewsonline.com