Recovery Act Helps Districts Meet Needs of Homeless Students

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and Commissioner of Education Dr. Timothy Webb today announced Title X McKinney-Vento Act funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for schools and districts to meet the special needs of students who are homeless. These allocations represent the entire funding amount that will be available for districts through ARRA to serve these students.

“The children and youth of Tennessee who are homeless are usually the victims of decisions outside of their control,” Governor Bredesen said. “It is up to us to provide them access to education and other services, just like their peers, in hopes of improving their lives and opportunities for the future.”

These Recovery Act funds can be used for multiple purposes including coordinating community social services for families with homeless students, providing school supplies, paying for the cost of travel for a homeless student to continue attending his or her school of origin, and providing supplemental instructional services.

In additional to these Recovery Act fund allocations, Murfreesboro City and Rutherford County Schools will each receive $27,500 in other supplemental federal funding to aid in recovery following the April 10 tornadoes.

“In Tennessee, every homeless child should have access to educational and other support services,” Commissioner Webb said. “The infusion of these additional funds will allow us to better serve these students and to hopefully improve their living situation.”

The ARRA Title X McKinney-Vento Act funding is part of the Department of Education's proposed FY 2009-2010 budget, which is currently being considered by the Tennessee General Assembly. Each school district’s awarded allocation will also be posted online.

For additional information, please visit http://tn.gov/education/recovery.shtml.

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@tn.gov .