Would a student lie about being homeless to get assigned to a particular school or to ride the bus?
Those were some of the questions that popped up during this week's facilities committee meeting. Eddy Adams, senior director for transportation, said there have been cases when students claiming to be homeless demand bus service.
Adams said people have actually seen cases where students are dropped off from a Mercedes and claim to be homeless. He acknowledged it could be a friend of the student who is driving the car.
Needless to say, that raised questions among school board members.
Board member Lori Millberg said Wake needs some way to verify a child's homeless status based on the lengths people will go to in order to get a particular school assignment.
Adams said transportation can't verify a child's homeless status. This led to Millberg asking whether anyone can check.
Board member Patt Head, chairwoman of the facilities committee, said they'll check with Marvin Connelly, assistant superintendent for student support services.
Under board policy, a student who claims to be homeless must be enrolled immediately even if the child isn't accompanied by an adult and cannot provide proof of residency, school and immunization records, birth certificates or other documents.
The burden of proof is on the school district to show that a child is not homeless. The district's regulations and procedures lists a lengthy dispute process.
Administrators have said they're only following state and federal law on the issue.
Click here for a 2007 article from Kinea that helps explain how districts deal with homeless students
Comments
WCPSS does not have enough
Sat, 11/15/2008 - 23:34 — rr77rr99WCPSS does not have enough staff to investigate this stuff. It's going on all around them under their noses, but they don't see it, or don't want to see it, who knows.
Who cares anymore? All of us "Chicken Littles" who try to open our mouths are cut down, or labeled, "trouble makers" , so really what's the point anymore? Why blow the horn on any of it anyway?
Illegal kids... f&r's who eat steak ever ynight and ride in a Lexus to school, kids getting busted for drugs, yet still allowed on sports teams, holidays being taken away... sky hitting my head.. ouch... ouchouchouchouchouchwill shut ouch.. up.. ouch.. now.
More auditing....
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 14:13 — WuptdoIf I recall, if 55% of the F&R claims are false after only checking 3-5% of the Total F&R in Wake County, what makes you think that they will work any harder verify homelessness. Perhaps before the new WCC's take the helm, the old WCC's should demand a FULL audit of all those on the F&R program in Wake County.
And speaking of audits, I came across this little jewel this morning and it made me wonder if WCPSS is doing the same thing:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/111408dnmetdisdsocials.3d93dbc.html
speaking of needing an audit (slightly OT)
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 21:19 — AngelaWhttp://www.wral.com/traffic/story/3960677/
The USDA doesn't Care -they are running the program
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 15:40 — Voice_of_Reason_Lesson is federal budgetting. Start a program and fund it, raise funding 5%+ every year and call it cuts if not raised. If agency does not spend money they are penalized. Agency will grow only if shows growth. Job security is in growth. Growth sometimes means relaxing the rules. BL- Looking the other way means growth.
Human nature - If there are no perceived penalties to get free money illegally alot will try (unless you have values). If the only penalty is sorry you will not get it, they will try harder. If 95% of the time they will not be even challenged, they will commit fraud without blinking. Hence the high fraud rate.
WCPSS get money from F&R program, why would they care; especially if it doesn't cost THEM anything.
Gee, I wonder why....
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 12:19 — SouthEastWakeMom"Board member Lori Millberg said Wake needs some way to verify a child's homeless status based on the lengths people will go to in order to get a particular school assignment."
Given the inequities between the schools in Wake county created purely through BOE assignment, magnet, calendar, and bussing policies, this really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone including BOE members. Parents lie about their home addresses (and probably F&R status) on an ongoing basis to get a desirable school assignment, why would claiming homelessness be any different.
the student might not, but I bet the parents would
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 12:14 — AngelaWJust like the F&R program, unverifiable, (they claim) and the biggest joke next to the welfare system....
I bet if WCPSS wasn't so damn big, they'd have a MUCH better handle on this type of thing.....what about those getting transpo from Lucas, et al???