There are many reasons a student may be experiencing homelessness. One Chatham County high-school student, for example, was living with his family in their vehicle after the house they were renting was sold. Sometimes they would stay in a hotel for a few days, but that was no longer an option once their money ran out.
While the family really did not want to ask for help—they were the ones used to helping others—they eventually accepted services from Chatham County Schools’ McKinney-Vento Program, which is part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act—a federal law that guarantees educational rights for children lacking a “fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence.” As part of this law, all public school systems in the United States are required to have a local homeless education liaison who helps homeless students participate fully in school during housing insecurity by removing barriers and connecting them to needed resources.
CCS’s liaison is Suzannah Pessagno. Once the family contacted Pessagno, she quickly got the ball rolling, linking them with local resources, including helping them find a home. Unfortunately, during the process, the student’s father was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and needed to stay in the hospital for a period. Through Pessagno’s connections, she found a local nonprofit to cover the gap between the hospital stay and the time when their new home was ready. A local church even pitched in with gift cards so they could have hot meals. The grandmother of the family shared, “It was beneficial. It really kept our heads up and our spines straight. [My grandson] could go to school and we didn’t have to worry about how he’d get there. It’s a worthy effort—and very needed.”
Each school year, about 3% of Chatham County Schools’ 9,000 students—272 in total for 2024–25—are identified as homeless. While some parts of the county have higher numbers, no area is immune, and last school year, every CCS school had students who were McKinney-Vento identified. Keep in mind that homelessness and poverty are not the same—someone may be homeless without being impoverished.
Another Chatham County student lost her home to a fire. While the family was able to stay with relatives nearby, the home was across county lines, which meant a different school district. Instead of having to transfer schools, the McKinney-Vento program made it possible for her to stay at her original school. As the law explains, it’s important for students to have some stability when they’re experiencing homelessness, and research shows that changing schools can impede both academic and social growth.
According to the Act, rights for homeless students include
- The right to immediate school enrollment (even without access to typical documents like proof of address)
- Help getting school supplies, meals, and other supports
- The right to stay in the same school that year even if the family moves, if best for the child
- Access to school transportation assistance if needed.
But sometimes changing schools is necessary, such as when Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina and thousands of families were displaced. With so much devastation, it wasn’t possible for all students to go back to their original schools, and many families moved east. CCS worked with several students’ families who moved to Chatham County and were able to enroll their children in school without delays.
There are other reasons a student may be homeless: Their family may have been evicted from an apartment; their house may have mold or be uninhabitable; their family may be living in a car, RV park, abandoned building, or bus station; they may be fleeing domestic violence; they may be doubling-up (living with another family); or they may have felt the need to run away. No matter the reason, their rights hold.
Anyone—a school social worker, a teacher, a bus driver, a neighbor—can help identify a homeless student by filling out a referral on the district website. All referrals go to Pessagno’s office for follow up and McKinney-Vento staff confidentially notify the school’s principal, social worker, nutrition manager (homeless students automatically receive free breakfast and lunch), and transportation services if needed.
The McKinney-Vento Act applies only to public schools, which are responsible for educating every student in the community, regardless of a family’s circumstances. School districts may receive some funding through the Department of Education’s Title I program, but resources are limited and must be used for specific educational needs. Through donations, CCS’s McKinney-Vento program has been able to cover three nights in a hotel when a family finds themselves without a home. “It’s a chance for families to catch their breath and figure out where they’re going next,” said Orlando Hernandez, who also works with the McKinney-Vento program for CCS. Due to a lack of affordable hotels or emergency shelters in Chatham, the closest stay may be far from the student’s school, which then makes school transportation challenging.
Since each situation and student is unique, Pessagno said, “You have to approach each with creativity and care.” To help brainstorm and ensure efforts are not duplicated, the CCS team meets weekly with local agencies including the Salvation Army and LoveChatham through a partnership with United Way. Together they discuss cases and address concerns from basic needs to accessing medical care.
It truly takes a community—schools, agencies, churches, neighbors—working together to ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn and thrive. Awareness of homelessness/housing insecurity and available resources is the first step. The Chatham Education Foundation is partnering with CCS to raise money to help families through these crisis situations. While we all hope for a future where no student needs these supports, we are grateful they are here when families face the unexpected.
If you’d like to support CCS’s McKinney-Vento program, you can donate through the Chatham Education Foundation. Click here and choose “Meeting Students’ Most Urgent Needs” on the drop-down menu.