By Carolyn Jones, Ed Source, November 27, 2019
California schools undercounted their homeless students by at least 37 percent in 2017-18, according to a recent state audit. The state failed to provide those students with transportation, counseling, connections to social services and other benefits they’re entitled to under state and federal law.
The audit, conducted by the office of State Auditor Elaine Howle, found that schools and districts reported only 270,000 homeless children, although it’s likely that at least 370,000 — roughly 10 percent of all the low-income children in California schools — lack stable housing, the audit.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, homelessness is defined as children living in cars, motels, shelters, campgrounds or doubled up with another family, including other family members, due to financial hardship. School districts use the same definition.
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