Gauger says the district should get the issue ironed out because the numbers of children experiencing homelessness are increasing.

A woman in North Carolina is suing a school district, alleging officials forced her children to switch schools while they experienced homelessness.

The suit from the mother, identified as K.L., claims Gaston County Schools; Lisa Phillips, state coordinator for Education of Homeless Children; and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction failed her children when the district forced the children to leave their original schools while already facing the trauma of homelessness.

The 17-page lawsuit filed on Jan. 26 states K.L. was evicted from her residence in September 2023 while her children were students at New Hope Elementary and Cramerton Middle School.

With two children and nowhere to go, the suit states the disabled veteran mother switched both children to car riders while searching for steady housing. While the family remained in the same city, they were not located in the same school zone following the eviction.

  • Physnrd@lemmy.world
    4·
    9 months ago

    I posted this as a reply to someone else, so copying here too. It’s not they “may” be able to attend, federal law says they must be able to attend and be provided transportation.

    The McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act requires districts to allow homeless students to attend their school of origin, regardless of the family having an address in the school district.

    The point is for school to be one less difficulty for children in what is an already difficult event.