Marshall County Schools

The following student groups should be enrolled immediately at your school:

Immigrant, EL, Migrant, Homeless, and Foster Care

(256) 582-3171

Migrant / Homeschool Support Staff:

• Brenda Alvarez - alvarez.brenda@marshallk12.org
• Gabriella Conriquez - conriquezg@marshallk12.org
• Yesinia Guerrero - guerreroyc@marshallk12.org
• Laura Martinez - martinez.laura@marshallk12.org

Bilingual School-based Personnel:

1. Maricela Medina - Asbury High - (256) 878-4068

2. Yelinette Sepulveda - Douglas Elementary - (256) 593-4420

3. Gabiela Jaimes-Gonzalez - Douglas Middle (256) 593-1240

4. Karla Garcia - Douglas High - (256) 593-2810

5. Nancy Salazar - Sloman Primary - (256) 593-4912

6. Julia Villalobos - Asbury Elementary - (256) 878-6221

Please scan and email all forms on the day of registration for new students. ✅

Please have someone in your office make sure all teachers turn in the returned forms daily so they can be sent to the appropriate person and in a timely manner.

1. Employment Survey (only new students, Kindergarten, and PreK students); MUST also be entered into PowerSchool; (Asbury and Douglas email to migrant recruiter, and all other campuses will email to Gabriella Conriquez).
2. Home Language Survey (only new students, Kindergarten, and PreK students); (keep in permanent record).
3. McKinney-Vento (give to all students); email new student forms to Kim Morrow or Delynn Crawford. Please send forms returned by students through the pony.

• Parent & Family Engagement Specialists - use them and document if Spanish is needed

• Discuss Migrant

• Review of Foster Care

• *Definition of Immigrant Student

*Effective July 1, 2009 the definition of immigrant children and youth was revised to be consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Section 3301 (6) of the ESEA defines immigrant children and youth as individual who (A) are aged 3 through 21: (B) were not born in any State: and (C) have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more States for more than 3 full academic years. (Please let your EL teacher, bilingual personnel, and/or Mr. Alan Garner know if you enroll a student from another country. Puerto Rico is a US Territory and will not be considered outside of the US).

• Description of EL students

• Review of Homeless

• Review of Services available for migrant, homeless, EL, immigrant, and foster care students

• Introduction of bilingual personnel available for services with enrollment

It is the policy of the Marshall County School System that no student be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or subjected to discrimination in any program or activity, on the basis of sex, race, age, disability, religion, belief, national origin or color. Any student determined Homeless by the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, Migrant, Immigrant, or an English Language Learner will not be denied admission or discriminated against in any school or program in the Marshall County School System. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America will not be denied access to the use of school facilities. Any parent or legal guardian wishing to raise questions, lodge complaints or express other concerns is invited to participate in resolving issues believed to be discriminatory by contacting:

12380 US Hwy 431 South

Guntersville, Alabama 35976

(256) 582-3171

Pursuant to the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2001 and services provided under Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 all homeless, migratory, immigrant, limited English proficient children and children in foster care must have equal access to the same free appropriate public education, including public preschool education, provided to other children and youth. Such children will be provided the opportunity to meet the same challenging state content and state student performance standard to which all students are held without being stigmatized or isolated.

The enrollment of homeless, migrant, immigrant, EL, or foster children shall not be denied or delayed due to any of the following barriers:

• Lack of Birth Certificate

• Lack of school records or transcripts

• Lack of immunization or health records

• Lack of proof of residency

• Lack of transportation

• Guardianship or Custody requirements

• The district will use a Residence Questionnaire (MV Form), a Home Language Survey and an Employment Survey at enrollment with all new students to facilitate identification of homeless, migrant, immigrant and EL children, youth, and preschoolers. These documents will be available in English as well as Spanish, along with other documents in the school enrollment package. The parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth will complete these documents at the time of registration. The school counselor may provide assistance to the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth in completing these documents, if necessary.

• Copies of these documents must be submitted to the appropriate personnel on the day of registration.

• The parent or guardian may enroll the student with or without proof of residency, birth certificate, school records, or immunization records. The school counselor or principal’s designee will supply the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth appropriate assistance in obtaining the necessary records and documents for enrollment. Enrollment without the required immunization record will be pending receipt or acquisition of Immunization documentation.

• An unaccompanied youth may enroll himself or herself. In this case, the school principal or designee will immediately contact the Marshall County Homeless Liaison to report the enrollment of an unaccompanied youth. The school will provide the youth with proper assistance in a language the student understands. The Marshall County Homeless Liaison will assist the homeless unaccompanied youth in obtaining eligible education services.

• Should the Marshall County School System cease to be a CEP system, the application for free and reduced pierced meals can be expedited for homeless children and youth. The Marshall County Homeless Liaison will coordinate with the Marshall County Child Nutrition Director to expedite the application. The determination for free meals may be made without completing the full application process.

Be familiar with common characteristics of students experiencing homelessness, including:

• Enrollment at multiple school, lack of records, gaps in learning, poor/inconsistent attendance

• Poor hygiene, unmet medical/dental needs, wearing the same clothes repeatedly, fatigue.

• Social and behavioral challenges, such as extreme shyness, withdrawal, or aggression; clinginess; difficulty with peer and/or adult relationships; poor attention span; anxiety late in the school day.

• Lack of participation in field trips and/or afterschool activities, lack of basic school supplies, inability to complete special projects.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that protects the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness. It defines “homeless children and youth” as any student who lacks a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” That includes students who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations; living in emergency shelters or transitional housing; and living in cars, campgrounds, or bus stations. This definition includes migrant children who are staying in these situations. Special protections also are provided for youth who are experiencing homelessness on their own.

What core protections and services are provided for students experiencing homelessness?

Through the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act:

• Students who are experiencing homelessness can remain in a school even if their temporary living situation is located in another school district or attendance area if that is in their best interest. Schools must provide transportation.

• Students who are experiencing homelessness can enroll in school and begin attending immediately, even if they cannot produce normally required documents, such as birth certificates, proof of guardianship, immunization records, or proof of residency, or even if they have missed application or enrollment deadlines.

• Students who are experiencing homelessness must be able to participate fully in school activities and access all programs and services for which they are eligible, including extracurricular activities, credit recovery, special education services, school nutrition programs, language assistance for English learners, career and technical education, gifted and talented programs, summer learning, online learning and before and after school care.

• Every local educational agency must designate a homeless liaison. Homeless liaisons have many critical responsibilities in the service of students experiencing homelessness, including identification, enrollment, ensuring access to early childhood education and other programs, and collaboration with community agencies.

Enrollment staff are the frontline face in the identification and are well-positioned to be the first to notice that an enrolling student may be classified as Immigrant, EL, Migrant, Homeless or Foster Care. These staff are required to remove barriers to enrollment for students and notify the district liaisons for follow-up support.

Look for signs that a student may be experiencing homelessness and make a referral to the local homeless liaison.

Learn to identify indicators of possible homelessness during the enrollment process:

• a lack of records, such as a birth certificate, immunization records, school and preschool records, transcripts, address verification;

• parents who do not know the last school their child attended;

• attendance at multiple schools;

• a low-cost motel/hotel address on an enrollment form;

• statements such as, “it’s a new address; I can’t remember it;” or “we’ve been having a hard time lately;” or “we move a lot and are staying with friends until we find a place.”

Check the McKinney-Vento, Home Language, and Employment form with enrollment materials for types of living situations that might indicate homelessness.

• Enroll the child or unaccompanied youth immediately.

• Ask the family if there are preschool-aged children and include this information in your

referral to the local liaison.

• Provide a welcoming environment for families, children, and youth experiencing

homelessness.

• Ensure that posters with the educational rights of homeless children and youth are

posted visibly in the registration area and brochures are readily available.

• Have sensitive conversations in a private area; allow the family or youth to fill out

forms in a private area. Inform homeless families, children, and youth that homeless students have the right to remain in their school of origin, if in their best interest, and receive transportation to and from the school of origin; providing this information is required by law;

• Discuss a child’s or youth’s possible homelessness with him or her and with parents or

guardians in a discrete, respectful way, avoiding using the word “homeless.” You can use terms like “living in a temporary situation” or “in a displaced living situation.”

• Discuss with the parent, child, or youth school policies and routines; provide a tour of

the school.

• Ensure that the child or youth is placed in class on the day of arrival, and follow up with

the local liaison, child nutrition staff, and pupil transportation department so that services are arranged without delay.

• You don’t have to understand or agree with the reasons why an unaccompanied youth

left home; youth often will not share the full details of their home situation. Enroll an unaccompanied homeless youth, as any other homeless child or youth.

• Provide a backpack with age-appropriate school supplies if needed.

• Contact the parent or guardian when a homeless student is absent (or contact the

unaccompanied youth) to identify any challenges with attendance.

• Before a student withdraws, prepare a parent pack with photocopies of the student’s

records (e.g., academic, health, immunization); samples of the student’s

work; and contact information for teachers, school counselors, or social

workers.

• Provide records immediately for a homeless student when requested by a new school to

expedite appropriate placement.

• Schools must remove barriers to enrollment due to outstanding fees or fines