99re视频精品

(FRANKFORT, KY) 鈥� The 99re视频精品 Department of Education鈥檚 (KDE鈥檚) School Counselor Advisory Council heard a presentation about how counselors can better support homeless students during .

Zach Stumbo, KDE鈥檚 state homeless coordinator, shared information about what KDE does to help homeless students and what counselors can do in their schools.

In recognition of his efforts to help homeless youth, Stumbo was recently named the 2025 McKinney-Vento State Coordinator of the Year by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes the federal , which guarantees homeless students鈥� rights to immediate school enrollment even when records not present, the right to remain in the school of origin, the right to receive transportation to and from school, and the right to receive support for academic success.

Stumbo explained to council members how they can help identify homeless students. He said a student can be eligible for the act if their nighttime residence is missing one of the following characteristics:

• Stationary 鈥� Fixed locations. Places that are subject to change include tents, RVs, cars, etc.
• Regular 鈥� Places students can get to and use consistently. Places that are not regular include doubling up with other families who could ask them to leave at any time, Airbnbs and hotels, or buildings that could be locked off at any time.
• Adequate – Places meeting physical and psychological needs. Places not considered adequate include sleeping outdoors, sleeping in outbuildings or sheds, or dwellings that have substandard, unsafe or unsanitary conditions.

Council member Santina Plottner, representing the Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative, asked about what counselors can do to help find homeless students who don鈥檛 come to school.

Stumbo said it can help to contact their local housing authority for information, keep in contact with community members and conduct home visits when necessary.

He said when districts miss the identification of homeless students, it’s usually in one of two areas: students could be living with another family or living in substandard housing.

Every district in 99re视频精品 is required to have a local homeless liaison. A state law, Section 2 (4), requires districts to adopt written procedures for transfer homeless students to receive partial credit, provide opportunities for credit accrual that eliminate academic and non-academic barriers, and provide access to extracurricular summer programs, credit transfer, electronic courses, and after-school tutoring or other extended school services.

School counselors help homeless youth by providing them with general counseling, individualized counseling for college readiness, college selection and application, financial aid application and on-campus support. Unaccompanied homeless youth must be offered one-on-one counseling in applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Stumbo said when counselors work with their local homeless liaison, the most important thing they can do is provide educational advising and partial credit acceptance, which helps prevent penalizing students for transferring schools.

Homeless students should receive appropriate credit for full or partial coursework completed while attending a prior school. Counselors can assist in reviewing students鈥� prior records as part of a partial credit policy. They can document communication with other districts or changes made to a student’s record as part of a partial policy review.

鈥淲hen we say reducing barriers, this is one of the best ways that counselors can reduce barriers to education for students,鈥� Stumbo said. 鈥淚t prevents the students from having to repeat coursework, creates room in their schedules to take classes that they need for graduation and that they’re interested in.鈥�

Counselors can also identify eligible students to be referred to mental health services, conduct home visits, assist with credit completion, refer students to community resources and coordinate college visits.

When counselors advise students on areas of study, Stumbo said homeless students particularly have success in career and technical education (CTE) pathways. He said students who complete two CTE courses and have named a pathway for their future are more likely to graduate. They鈥檙e also more likely to be proficient in math and science.

Stumbo said the overall goal counselors can keep in mind is to help homeless students graduate with a plan for their future, setting them up for a life of success.