×

Jersey Shore adopts homeless student policy

JERSEY SHORE — The Jersey Shore Area School Board unanimously approved a district policy regarding homeless students during its school board meeting on Monday.

The policy states that “the board recognizes the need to promptly identify homeless children and youths within the district, facilitate their immediate enrollment and eliminate existing barriers to their attendance and education in compliance with federal and state regulations.”

The policy ensures that homeless children and youths have equal access to the same educational programs and services provided to other district students.

Before the vote, Merrill Sweitzer asked about the current status in the district.

“On the homeless policy … do we have any homeless students?” he asked.

Superintendent Dr. Jill Wenrich said the district does have a “handful” of homeless students.

“We do (have them) every year,” she said. “It seems to be growing.”

The district policy defines homeless students as individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence.

This includes sharing housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reasons; living in motels, hotels or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency, transitional or domestic violence shelters; or abandoned in hospitals.

The policy also includes children and youths living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations or similar setting, and it includes school-aged parents living in houses for school-aged parents if they have no other available living accommodation.

The policy states that the board designates the director of pupil services to serve as the district’s liaison for homeless children and youths to ensure outreach and coordination with local social service agencies, other school districts, district staff responsible for the provision of services, and state and local housing agencies.

In other business, the school board unanimously approved the creation of an advanced baking and pastry course for the 2018-19 school year and decided it will begin in the second semester of the 2017-18 school year in lieu of culinary arts four.

“The culinary arts four evidently is not having enough enrollment …” Wenrich said. “Therefore, what they’re going to do is replace culinary arts four with the baking and pastry course. So, the content for culinary arts four will become the content, which is taught in this baking and pastry course.”

Voting yes were members Craig Allen, Karen Stover, Merrill Sweitzer, Denise Smith, David Hines, Loren Koch, Mary Thomas and Kelley Wasson. Members David Hines and and Christopher Fravel were absent.

The next school board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the district service center, 175 A and P Drive.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today