Project REACH referral form - Need to be on a district server and will not work from home, so if there are any difficulties, please contact Heather Alden - heather.alden@spps.org or 651-744-7173.

Project REACH staff work closely with shelter and school personnel to ensure students experiencing homelessness attend school regularly.  

Project REACH staff checks attendance records and addresses attendance concerns directly with the student’s parent/guardian as well as partnering with the school. 

Collaboration with the district transportation department allows students to attend school even when regular busing is not available.  The program also provides parents with transportation to school conferences or meetings when problems persist.

The homeless contacts designated in every. Saint Paul Public Schools collaborates with the Title I Project REACH staff regarding attendance, truancy and academic concerns. 

Home visits are completed at hotels, motels, shelters, and doubled up situations when appropriate.

Transportation does not always allow the student to get to school on time. Students should not be marked absent because they are not there at the start of the day when busing is an issue.   

If absenteeism of a student experiencing homelessness persists, school staff should notify the Title I Project REACH Homeless Program staff to assist.  The Project REACH staff will work directly with the parents to try to resolve the attendance issues.

The Saint Paul Public Schools Title I Project REACH Homeless Program ensures the immediate enrollment of children and youth experiencing homelessness even if the students lack records (academic, medical, and proof of residency and other documentation).  Immediate enrollment includes attending classes and fully participating in school activities.  All schools are required to follow these enrollment guidelines when registering a student in school.

When requested, the program provides transportation for students to participate in after-school activities including Area Learning Center programming, sports activities and extra-curricular activities.

The Title I Project REACH Homeless Program has developed an enrollment form where parents or unaccompanied youth can self-identify as homeless when enrolling in school.  This form can be used anytime during the school year if a student becomes homeless.  If a student is homeless and not working with the Title I Project REACH Program, the student needs to be designated as homeless in Campus.  To access the form or get instructions on how to designate in Campus, please contact Heather Alden at 651-744-7173 or access the Title I / Funded Programs website, or get the form below.

• English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Karen

Students who are experiencing homelessness qualify for free meals with Nutrition Services through the completion of the academic school year.

Please contact the school for this form or if there are any questions, contact Project REACH staff for exemption: 651-744-7173

Transportation Service for Families Experiencing Homelessness

Transportation service is provided to students who are experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act. Homeless students have the right to attend their "school of origin," which is defined as the school they went to before becoming homeless or whatever school they were enrolled in last, even if they move out of the district, when feasible.

Working to keep homeless students in school is a key component of the Title I Homeless Program.  The district provides transportation to and from the school of origin, at a parent or guardian’s request whenever possible.  All transportation is provided through the district’s transportation department. 
 
Non-public school students do not qualify for services under McKinney-Vento.
 
For charter schools, whatever district provides the transportation is responsible to provide the same transportation for the students experiencing homelessness.
 
Any transportation questions can go through Project REACH, unless there is an emergency; then the transportation department may be called.

Transportation Procedures