McKinney Vento

McKinney Vento and Homeless Youth

Students who lack a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime abode based on exigent circumstances will be immediately admitted to Thornton Fractional HS Dist. 215 under the McKinney-Vento Act and the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act (IEHCA) if one of the following conditions is met

  • One of the District 215 campuses was the school in which the student was enrolled when last permanently housed;
  • One of the District 215 campuses was the school in which the student was last enrolled; or
  • The student lives in the attendance area of Thornton Fractional District 215 defined boundaries.

Homeless students will be enrolled immediately even if the student or student’s parent/guardian lack records that are normally required to establish residency or enroll in school. District 215 may require parents or guardians of a homeless child to submit an address or such other contact information as the District may require from parents or guardians of non-homeless children. District 215 will then immediately contact the school last attended by the student to obtain relevant academic and other records. If the student needs immunizations or to provide immunization and medical records, the student will immediately be referred to the Student Services Coordinator who will assist in obtaining this information


Thornton Fractional District will ensure that each student eligible under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as other District 215 students. When a homeless student seeks enrollment at Thornton Fractional and at least twice annually when the student is enrolled, the district will provide the student and the student’s parents/guardians written notice of rights as required by law. The district will provide transportation in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act and the IEHCA.

Whenever a child and their parent/guardian who initially share the housing of another person due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar hardship continue to share the housing, the District 215 Residency Coordinator will, after the passage of 18 months and annually thereafter, conduct a review as to whether such hardship continues to exist in accordance with State law.


Important Documents