15th Night Receives Funding to Pilot Rural Mckinney-Vento Liaison Support Role

The 15th Night’s primary purpose is to help students navigating homelessness stay engaged in school and off the streets. A federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act protects the educational rights of these students.  Schools are required by law to have staff hired as McKinney-Vento  (MV) liaisons to help identify and support students K-12 who are experiencing homelessness as defined by the Department of Education.

When students are misidentified or the Mckinney-Vento Act is misinterpreted, students don’t receive the supports they are entitled to under the law. In rural schools, the MV liaison wears many hats. They may also be the school principal, secretary or in charge of other programs like special education. MV liaison is just ONE of many things they are responsible for. The 15th Night developed a proposal and received funding from the State of Oregon to pilot a position called the Rural MV Support Specialist to help rural school districts identify and support unhoused students.

This school year, Becca Larsen was hired as the 15th Night Rural MV Support Specialist to pilot this program. This school year, she is helping to support MV’s in Creswell, Mapleton, Junction City and Pleasant Hill school districts.