MINNEAPOLIS – Today the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced $1 million in federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act competitive grants to 22 districts and charter schools throughout Minnesota.

“Students experiencing housing instability and unaccompanied youth are the most at-risk student group in Minnesota. These funds will help school districts to focus assistance on the students most in need,” said Commissioner Willie Jett. “Education is a great equalizer. Children and youth experiencing housing instability must have access to the educational services they need to succeed.”

Recipients include:

• Anoka-Hennepin Public School District
• Bdote Learning Center
• Bemidji Public School District
• Bloomington Public School District
• Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District
• Columbia Heights Public School District
• Duluth Public School District
• Eden Prairie Public School District
• Hopkins Public School District
• Mankato Public School District
• Minneapolis Public School District
• Moorhead Area Public School District
• North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale Public School District
• Osseo Public School District
• Robbinsdale Public School District
• Rochester Public School District
• Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public School District
• Saint Paul Public Schools
• South Washington County Schools
• St. Cloud Public School District
• White Bear Lake Public School District
• Worthington Public School District

MDE receives McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act funds from the U.S. Department of Education and distributes them through a competitive, three-year grant cycle. The purpose is to improve the academic and school success of students experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act is designed to address the challenges that children and youths experiencing housing instability have faced in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school.

• Districts and charter schools will use the funding for projects such as:
• Supporting shelter-based tutoring programs
• Collaborating with early childhood programs to improve identification of preschool children
• Providing bilingual support to meet the needs of new-to-country arrivals
• Providing staff professional development to raise awareness about the needs and rights of homeless children and youth
• Removing transportation barriers
• Providing school supplies and other resources for student success
• Implementing activities to improve immediate enrollment and identification
• Supporting family engagement

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

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