Housing unstable? What Mississippi families should know about school enrollment

Cherie Reiff said she turned to a friend for a place to stay after losing her housing. While trying to enroll her children in school, she faced questions about how to establishresidency without her name on the lease.  Christine Hawthorne described a different situation. She said her grandchildren were already attending school when residency issues arose while she was temporarily staying with her daughter. Their schooling was interrupted during that period, she said.  Reiff said she sought answers about enrollment paperwork. Hawthorne said she had been unfamiliar with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the federal law providing educational protections for eligible children experiencing homelessness.  Their experiences highlight issues families can face when housing becomes unstable: Can children enroll without a lease? Can they remain at their current school after moving? And what can families do if they disagree with an enrollment decision?  State education officials explained the protections available under McKinney-Vento and how families can seek assistance, navigate missing paperwork and challenge enrollment decisions.  Read more about the story at https://rhcjcnews.com/10124/news/acro... The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center is dedicated to reporting impactful, issue-oriented and people-centered news in southeast Mississippi. Student journalists, supported by professional staff, report news, create content, innovate and combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Stay Connected! Join our Newsletter: https://rhcjcnews.com/getupdates/ Instagram:   / rhcjcnews   Facebook:   / rhcjcnews   LinkedIn:   / rhcjc   X: https://x.com/rhcjcnews