'A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS'

McKinney-Vento program supports students without stable housing

By NANCE BESTON Staff Writer

EPHRATA — Grant and Adams counties continue to see students living without stable housing, reflecting statewide trends and placing increased pressure on school districts to provide transportation, basic needs and academic stability.

Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, students who lack a "fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence" are guaranteed immediate school enrollment, transportation and access to services. Eligibility

is determined on a case-by-case basis; however, every school is required under law to have a liaison for families to contact for support.

Statewide, 41,560 students, 2.9% of Washington's K-12 population, were identified as experiencing homelessness in the 2025-26 school year, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

According to the 2025 OSPI legislative report, more than three-quarters were "doubled up," meaning they were staying with friends or relatives due to economic hardship.

Locally, numbers vary widely. In the 2025-26 school year, Moses Lake School District reported 180 students (2.1%), Quincy had 75 (2.3%), Warden had 65 (6.8%) and Wahluke had 149 (6.3%). Smaller districts such as Almira and Coulee-Hartline reported no identified students.

Not stereotypical

Educators say the public often imagine homelessness as tents or encampments. In reality, most students are living in crowded homes, RVs, motels or temporary spaces.

"This is one of those invisible issues," said Diane Truscott, a social worker for the Ephrata School District. "It doesn't look like what they think it looks like. It's the kid who's sleeping on the couch because two families and a total of 10 people are living in a two-bedroom house."

Ephrata serves 79 McKinney-Vento students, a number that has remained steady for several years. Moses Lake serves around 100, according to OSPI and local data.

Deb Knox, co-director of Teaching and Learning in Ephrata, said many students are "doubled up" with relatives or friends.

"We have numerous students who are doubled up… We've got students who live in a fifth wheel in the backyard of grandma's property," she said.

Stability through school

Districts say the program's most important function is keeping students connected to their school of origin, even if they move across town – or across district lines.

"We want students who are living in a flexible housing situation to be able to be a student," Knox said. "We make sure they get to experience

being a student… (And that) those barriers are not in the way for them."

Transportation is often the biggest challenge. Moses Lake School District liaison Scott West said the district regularly arranges special routes, hotel stays and gas vouchers to keep students enrolled.

"For many of our families, school is their sense of security," West said. "The overall goal is to get the students to school successfully."

Other support from the program may include immediate school enrollment, school supplies, free breakfast and lunch, and access to after-school sports and clubs.

Basic needs

Districts across the region report similar needs: food, hygiene supplies, clothing and help to navigate social services.

"We see a lot of food insecurity," Knox said.

Truscott said many students avoid school because they lack clean clothes or basic hygiene items.

"A kid doesn't want to come to school if they don't have more than two pairs of pants," she said. "Suddenly it boosts that child's confidence… and improves attendance."

Persistent gaps

OSPI data shows students experiencing homelessness face significant academic barriers including 61.9% graduating on time in 2024, the most recent finalized data shows, compared to 82.8% of all students. Nearly 25% were truant, around triple the statewide rate. Further, suspension and expulsion rates were 2.5 times higher than for housed peers.

These gaps, OSPI notes, reflect the instability students face outside of school.

Finding success

Despite continuing need, district officials say the McKinney-Vento program is producing steady, measurable wins. For many students, the first sign of progress is simply showing up.

"We sometimes see a turnaround in attendance," said Truscott. "It is hard to go to school when you don't know where you're going to be sleeping at night… Getting them to school is the number

one goal, and then all of the things that happen naturally end up falling into place."

Districts point to long-term successes as well. Knox recalled a student who was displaced, moved to Moses Lake and still graduated from Ephrata High School with McKinney-Vento support.

"He desperately wanted to graduate… and he was super proud," she said.

Staff helped him complete his financial aid application, and he is now enrolled at Big Bend Community College.

"There are some real stories… of how we can allow these students to have a pathway to success," Knox said.

West remembers one Mckinney-Vento student from his time as the Warden School District superintendent.

"She received national honors, participated in multiple sports and extracurricular activities and I got to watch her walk across the aisle and it made me emotional," West said. "When you put that student with her team, you would never guess her situation. That is an example of success."

'Reasons to say yes'

West said the work requires constant coordination among counselors, transportation staff and community partners.

"We try to find reasons to say yes instead of saying no," he said. "These are unique situations… and our responsibility is to provide equal and consistent opportunities for our students."

Truscott hopes the public understands the stakes.
 

"These kids come to school every day knowing they have to function, and that's hard," she said. "We help them keep that connection at school, because that's what keeps them going."