Commonwealth of Virginia

Department of Education

P. O. Box 2120

Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO.56

October 14, 2005

ADMINISTRATIVE

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Educating Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Revised Dispute Resolution Process

This memorandum provides Virginias revisions to the school enrollment dispute resolution process developed to comply with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, Title X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The McKinney-Vento Act states that local education agencies must ensure compliance with the dispute resolution process. Your local liaison is responsible for carrying out the process and ensuring that it is incorporated into local procedures for serving children and youth in homeless situations.

Changes from the 2003 process described in Supts. Memo No. 64, December 5, 2003, include:

Addition of a time line for a parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth to appeal a local school division decision of 10 business days from receipt of written notice;

The requirement that the homeless education liaison maintain a file or written notifications given to parents, guardians, or unaccompanied youth; and

Clarification of the state-level decision making process.

Questions and requests for technical support should be directed to the Office of the State Coordinator for Homeless Education:

Patricia A. Popp, Ph.D., state coordinator,

Project HOPE-Virginia

The College of William and Mary

School of Education - Jones Hall 305

P. O. Box 8795

Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795

Phone: (757) 221-4002, Toll free: (877) 455-3412

Fax: (757) 221-2988, TDD: (757) 221- 2302

E-mail: homlss@wm.edu

http://www.wm.edu/hope

 JLD/PAP/rt

Attachment

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/adm056a.pdf