State mandates training for MFISD on disciplining homeless students

The Texas Education Agency issued a corrective action plan to Marble Falls Independent School District on Dec. 3 after at least three students with unstable housing situations were issued out-of-school suspensions in the 2022-23 academic year.
Those suspensions violated the parameters put forth by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal law that sets education standards and protections for students experiencing various levels of insecure housing.
Per the TEA’s corrective action plan, all MFISD administrative, teaching, and counseling staff will have to undergo special training on the McKinney-Vento act, identifying at-risk students, and proper discipline protocols according to Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code.
The TEA’s findings were presented to the MFISD Board of Trustees during its regular meeting Dec. 16, and the board unanimously approved compliance with the plan.
According to the agency’s findings, three MFISD students who fell under the umbrella of McKinney-Vento protections were issued out-of-school suspensions a combined six times in the 2022-23 academic year.
MFISD Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway told DailyTrib.com the three students did fall under the definition of McKinney-Vento, but they were not truly homeless at the time of the suspensions.
“With all of the (students’) situations, none of them were going to a place where they were experiencing significant homelessness,” Gasaway said. “None of the kids were living out of a car, they were all going to homes that were safe and stable. But, they should not have been suspended out of school.”
The McKinney-Vento act provides a broad definition for homelessness, defining it as “children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” which can range from living on the street or in a public park to a forced doubling up of families in one residence due to economic hardships.
Gasaway said no other reported instances of out-of-school suspensions for McKinney-Vento students have happened since 2022-23 but acknowledged that home insecurity is a concern for the district.
“We have a significant number of students that are identified as McKinney-Vento,” he said. “A number of our kids are blessed with community resources, but that is not always the case.”
About 2 percent of the MFISD student body, or 75 students, fall under the federal act’s definition of homelessness, according to Gasaway.
Per the Texas Education Agency’s standards in following the McKinney-Vento Act, it is a school district’s responsibility to identify students who fall under the act’s protections and adjust disciplinary action when required.
A McKinney-Vento student cannot be given out-of-school suspension except under certain circumstances, which mostly apply to situations of extreme violations of student conduct or criminal activity, like bringing a firearm to school, sexual assault, or possession of a controlled substance.
Training sessions for MFISD staff are set for Jan. 6, Jan. 14, Jan. 16, and Feb. 3 to comply with the TEA’s corrective action plan. Training documents and participation sign-in sheets will be provided to the state to ensure compliance and regular refreshers on McKinney-Vento regulations will become part of MFISD meetings.
“(These training sessions) gives us an opportunity to make sure we’re doing things the right way,” Gasaway said. “The state’s expectation is that it doesn’t happen again, and that is also my expectation as superintendent.”
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They should be training the kids not the educators. Ridiculous. If there are no consequences for actions these kids won’t learn anything other than gaming the system.