Answer: No. The student can remain in his school of origin, which in this case is the alternative high school, or enroll in any school that students living where he is staying now would be eligible attend. 42 USC §§11432(g)(3)(A)-(B). Assuming students living where he is currently staying are not eligible to enroll in the high school he was zoned for before, he would not be eligible to enroll there. Depending on his best interest, he should stay in the alternative school (the McKinney-Vento Act presumes that staying in the school of origin is in the student’s best interest), or enroll in the local school or other school that serves the area where he’s currently staying.
A student was enrolled from the start of the school year at an alternative high school. He was not homeless at the time. Over the winter break, he became homeless in a different area. Does he have a right to attend the high school that he was zoned for before he became homeless, even though he was never enrolled there?
Jan 27, 2020 | Q and A