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Transportation
Students who are homeless are entitled to transportation to school in order to eliminate barriers to their participation in school. Students attending their school of origin always have the right to transportation to school, as long as it is no more than 50 miles one-way from where the student is temporarily residing. Students attending their local school have the right to receive the same transportation services offered to permanently housed students in the district.
In New York, the school district where the student who is homeless attends school is responsible for transportation. The local department of social services, rather than the school district may be responsible for transportation in cases where it has placed the student in temporary housing outside of the school district of attendance and the student is eligible for Emergency Assistance for Families. Click on the links below to learn more about transportation under McKinney-Vento and related state laws and policies.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Find answers to commonly asked questions about transportation for students in temporary housing situations.
Resources
Short Guide to Transportation for Students who are Homeless in New York State [Word doc]
Get an overview of school transportation options available to students who are homeless in New York State.
Short Guide to Transportation for Students in Temporary Housing Attending Charter Schools in New York State [Word doc]
Get more detailed information about transportation responsibilities for temporarily housed students attending charter school.
National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) Transportation Issue Brief [PDF]
Find more information regarding transportation provisions in McKinney-Vento and strategies for providing transportation.
NCHE Transportation for Homeless Children and Youth: Strategies for Rural School Districts [PDF]
Get tips on creative transportation solutions for students experiencing homelessness in rural areas.
Six Strategies for Meeting Transportation Requirements [PDF]
Find out more about different types of strategies districts employ to provide students who are homeless with transportation to school.
Increasing School Stability for Students Experiencing Homelessness: Overcoming Challenges to Providing Transportation to the School of Origin [PDF]
This monograph reviews the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as relates to transportation to the school of origin, and provides recommendations for implementing the transportation mandate. Recommendations are based on interviews with local homeless education liaisons and pupil transportation directors from eight school districts across the country. Sample district policies and documents are included.
Forms
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) Transportation Reimbursement Form [PDF]
Youth who are temporarily living in Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) shelters and who attend their school of origin in a different district from the shelter must receive free transportation to school. The RHY shelter where the student is residing should provide transportation to school for the student. The shelter will be fully reimbursed for the expense by NYSED. If the RHY shelter is unwilling or unable to provide transportation, the school district of origin must provide transportation and will be eligible for full reimbursement by NYSED. To arrange reimbursement, school districts should submit this form to: Nancy Chacoa, NYSED, P.O. Box 7256, Albany, NY 12224. With the completed form, include a cover letter with:
Laws and Guidance
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act [PDF]
Transportation is discussed in Section (g)(1)(J)(iii).
New York State Education Law Section 3209 [Word doc]
Transportation is discussed in Section 3209 (4).
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Administrative Directive—Transportation for Students who are Homeless [PDF]
Under New York State law, in certain circumstances, the local social services is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation to and from school for students experiencing homelessness. Read this Administrative Directive to find out more about when the local department of social services is responsible for a student's transportation.
New York State Education Law Section 3635—Transportation [Word doc]
This State Education Law addresses school transportation generally.