Every Child Has a Right to an Education
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act protects the rights of homeless children and youth to receive a free and appropriate public education. Nearly everyone in Texas who is between the ages of 5 and 21 on September 1 of the school year and has not been expelled has the right to attend school, even if they:
- Don’t have a permanent address
- Have a previous address in another town or state
- Don’t live with a parent or legal guardian
- Live temporarily doubled-up with friends or family
- Sleep in a shelter
- Sleep in a campground, car, abandoned building, or other facility not designated for, or ordinarily used as regular accommodations for, human beings
- Don’t have school records
For additional information or questions, please contact Andrea Menchaca at (512) 495-3300 or andrea.menchaca@austin.utexas.edu
