In the 2020–2021 school year, around 1.1 million public school students, or 2.2% of all enrolled students, were identified as experiencing homelessness. This count comes from the Department of Education, which tracks children and youth homelessness through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
The McKinney-Vento Act is the primary federal law providing educational access for homeless youth, allocating $92 million to public school districts in 2019. It is used to fund everything from personal school supplies, transportation to school, and fees for class projects. In the process, it collects data on student homelessness. The data reveals challenges in identifying students experiencing homelessness, especially after the school shutdowns following COVID-19, as well as getting resources to these students and preventing adverse outcomes.
