The Administration recommends that the Board of Education authorize The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or his designee, to pay or reimburse suburban school districts for the cost of transporting homeless students residing in Philadelphia and attending schools in other school districts, subject to funding, as follows:

Purpose:

Transportation for homeless students to and from the school of origin when students are required to cross county lines

Start Date: 7/1/2020

End Date: 6/30/2025

Compensation not to exceed: $1,000,000

Location(s):

Various schools

Description:  Under the McKinney-Vento Act, the School District is required to reimburse other school districts up to 50% of costs incurred while transporting homeless students over county lines. The Department of Transportation is seeking authorization to reimburse other school districts up to $200,000 annually for the 2021-2025 school years. The McKinney-Vento Act provides students experiencing homelessness with the right to continue attending their school of origin without interruption. When students attend school in one district and live in another, the two districts involved must agree upon a method to share the cost and responsibility equally. This authorization will allow Transportation to fulfill its mission to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation for students to and from school.

Anchor Goal(s) Supported: Anchor Goal 1 - 100% of students will graduate ready for college or career, Anchor Goal 2 - 100% of 8-year olds will read on or above grade level