Schools

Bellone: 'Every Homeless Child Has Access to Education'

County Executive sends a letter to Hauppauge School District officials this week following recent controversy over the placement and education of homeless students in the district.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone sent a letter to Hauppauge School District officials this week following recent controversy over the placement and education of homeless students in the district. The following is his letter.

The community is set to gather at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Suffolk Legislative Auditorium.

Dear Resident,

I am writing to update you on a concern that has been brought to our attention regarding the policies and laws surrounding the placement of homeless children in school districts and specifically, the Hauppauge School District.

I want to thank Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss and Legislator John Kennedy, both of whom have been proactive in bringing the legitimate concerns of parents and District residents to the County. Superintendent Sullivan-Kriss and Legislator Kennedy met with officials from the Department of Social Services last week and have followed up repeatedly to make sure that the community's legitimate questions and concerns are being addressed.

This letter provides detailed explanations for all of the issues that have been brought to the County by Superintendent Sullivan-Kriss and Legislator Kennedy as well as residents directly. It is my intent to make available to you as much information as possible to address any concerns. If you have additional questions which are not addressed in this letter, there is contact information available at the end of this letter and we will make every effort to provide you answers.

The first important thing to note is that on any given night there are more than 1,000 homeless children across Suffolk County. Unfortunately, the number of homeless children has increased significantly in the last few years due to the economic downturn and Superstorm Sandy. As a father of three young children, there is nothing more tragic than seeing a family with young children lose their home because of the loss of a job, unexpected medical expenses or a natural disaster. According to the Division of Housing in the Department of Social Services, the average length of stay in emergency housing for homeless families is 3 to 6 months.
 
Last year, this increase in child homelessness was given national attention in Suffolk County. You may remember the story of Samantha Garvey, a high school student who was a semi-finalist in the national Intel Science competition for research she conducted at Stony Brook University. She and her two 13 year old twin siblings became homeless when their parents were hospitalized due to an auto accident and lost their jobs.
 
Fittingly, the person from my administration that helped Samantha and her family with emergency housing was my former Chief Deputy Regina Calcaterra who was homeless for significant portions of her childhood. Regina wrote a book about her experiences called, Etched in Sand, where she specifically credits the stability she received in attending school in Suffolk County as well as the influence of specific teachers with her ability to overcome these challenges and achieve success in life. Although Samantha and Regina's stories garnered national attention, countless stories involving homeless children go untold every day.

Over the past year alone, we have seen a 20% increase in the homeless population in Suffolk County. Under New York State law, the Department of Social Services is tasked with the important obligation to provide shelter to vulnerable families and to also provide the services necessary to assist the family in returning to self-sufficiency. It is in the interest of every child, and quite frankly, every taxpayer in this County that we get families back to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Among those legal obligations is ensuring that every homeless child has access to education and resources that will give them the opportunity for success in life.

One of the questions raised regarding homeless children attending the Hauppauge School District was the increase in the number of students and whether the increase was equitable. Every parent I have spoken with from this District has expressed great compassion and understanding regarding the importance of assisting these vulnerable children. However, they have also rightly said that this should be a shared obligation so that no district is facing a disproportionate financial burden.

So first and foremost, it is important to note that the location of a shelter does not determine where a child goes to school. In most cases homeless children return to their school of origin, and for those that do not, every effort is made to place those children in school districts across Suffolk County in accordance with the law.

Social Services regulations also require that every effort be made to house families as close to their communities of origin as possible. As per Social Services Regulation 18 NYCRR Part 900: 

When placing a homeless child in temporary housing or when transferring them between temporary housing accommodations, a (Social Services Department) must attempt, but is not required, to make placements within or as close to their community as possible, giving consideration to the:


1. The homeless child’s educational needs;
2. Employment needs;
3. Medical needs; and
4. Childcare needs.

 
Furthermore, in accordance with Resolution 273-2013, which was passed by the Suffolk County Legislature, the Department of Social Services must, to the extent feasible, place homeless children in the emergency housing shelter that is closest to the family's home school district.

Specific to the number of homeless children attending the Hauppauge School District, there has been a relatively small increase over the prior year that is in line with the overall 20% increase in Suffolk County.

The number of homeless students in the school district is not expected to rise. Although there is no way to predict with precision changes in homelessness throughout Suffolk County, the department would expect a decline in homelessness in the future, as the recovering economy continues to strengthen and as money begins to flow to assist residents impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

With respect to the cost of educating a homeless child, in almost all cases it is the NYS Department of Education that pays as well as the school district of origin. The payment for homeless children is governed by NYS Education Law Section 3209 - Education of homeless children Section 1 Reimbursement (a), (b), and (d):
 
a. The costs associated with transportation and all educational services, which are not otherwise reimbursed under special federal programs, will be eligible for reimbursement by the New York State Department of Education.
b. The school district from which the homeless children originated from will be responsible for the reimbursement of the department’s expenditure for educational services on behalf of a  homeless child.

 
The school district gets reimbursed for each homeless child from New York who becomes a student in the district at a level at or near the per-pupil cost of education. In addition, emergency housing shelters also pay local property taxes, including school taxes.

Some residents have asked whether a school district must educate a homeless child indefinitely even if they have been transferred to another emergency housing location outside the district. The answer is no, there is a cap placed on the amount of time a district is required to accommodate a homeless child who is not originally from the district and no longer residing in the district. As per NYS education regulations, a homeless child who has relocated to another temporary housing arrangement outside of district, or to a different community school district within such district, has the right to continue the prior designation and entitles the student to remain in the same school building until the end of the school year and for one additional year if that year is the child’s terminal or graduation year in such building.

Another question that has been raised is how quickly must a school district register a homeless child? As per NYS education regulations, when the homeless child is located in a temporary housing facility operated or approved by a local social services district, the director of the facility or a designated social services representative must assist the designator in completing the designation forms and enrollment of the homeless child in the designated school district within two business days.

Once the designation form is received, the designated school district must immediately: Admit the homeless child; Treat the homeless child as a resident for all purposes; Make a written request to the school district where the child’s records are located for a copy of such records; and Forward the designation form to the commissioner, and the school district of origin, where applicable.

Within five days of the receipt of a request for records, the school district shall forward a complete copy of the homeless child’s records including proof of age, academic records, evaluations, immunization records, and guardianship papers, if applicable.

This leads to another concern that has been raised, who is responsible for gathering the immunizations for the homeless child? The designated shelter officer, who works with the designated school district, is responsible for obtaining the student’s immunization records. The shelter officer then works with the families to get students vaccinated if necessary.

Some parents have asked if there are children placed in the district that have not received immunizations? Children who are in the emergency shelter system are required to meet the same standards and legal obligations of every other child when it comes to immunizations. As of this time all homeless students in the Hauppauge School District have up to date vaccinations.

Beyond immunizations, students who come from emergency shelters are held to the same standards and code of conduct as every other student in the school. Like all new students that enter a school district, homeless students are given a 30 day period where the school can determine their proficiency and from there will be placed in the appropriate classrooms.

Finally, some individuals inquired about construction at existing shelters and whether this work involves increasing the capacity of those shelters. The answer is no. Any construction currently happening at any County emergency housing shelter is being done to better assist homeless families achieve self-sufficiency, not to increase capacity.

I hope this information is helpful. I fully appreciate your concern for the welfare of these families and your community. This letter addressed every question and concern that has been brought to our attention. However, if you have any additional questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact the Acting Commissioner of the Department of Social Services by e-mail at dsscommissioner@suffolkcountyny.gov or by calling 631-853-5639. Acting Commissioner O'Neill will do everything he can, within the law, to address any additional questions or concerns while adhering to the strict privacy laws at the federal and state levels that are in place to protect this vulnerable population.

Sincerely,

Steve Bellone

County Executive 


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