St. Cloud School District Among 22 in Minnesota to Receive Federal Aid for Students Facing Homelessness

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud Area School District is one of 22 in Minnesota receiving help to support students without permanent housing.

The Minnesota Department of Education announced $1 million in federal aid from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The funds will be divided among the districts. The grant is meant to help schools navigate obstacles to students experiencing housing instability from enrolling, attending and succeeding in school. The MDE stated that these kids are considered most at risk of getting involved with crime.

One of the biggest issues is getting signed up for school when the family needs a permanent address. The grants are also meant to ensure homeless kids have the same access to public education as everyone else and to improve the academic success of students experiencing homelessness.

In the 2022-2023 school year, District 742 reported around 700 students were homeless.

According to the MDE, 17,774 students experienced homelessness at some point in the 2022-23 school year or 1.5% of all Minnesota students.

___