Homeless Students

Federal guidelines, as set forth in No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, require that local school identify name children who are homeless. The federal mandate, and the intention of the Bald Eagle Area School District is to ensure that homeless children and youth have access to free appropriate public education on an equal basis with other children. Children who are homeless, including those living with others, may qualify for assistance with school lunch, with school supplies/materials, with tutoring, and with transportation so that they can remain in their school of origin.

If you believe your child(ren) may qualify for this service, please contact Doug Dyke at 355-5721 (office), 280-0250 (cell) or douglas.dyke@beasd.net.

Homeless children may be identified as living in the following situations:

• Public or private shelters;

• Public or private places not designated for/or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations such as vehicles, parks, motels, campgrounds, etc.;

• Living with a parents in a domestic violence shelter;

• Individuals and/or families living with relatives or friends due to a lack of housing;

• Living in transitional housing programs;

• Runaway children (under age 18) and children who have been abandoned or forced out of the home by parents or other caretakers. They may be in temporary shelters awaiting assistance from social service agencies, or may live alone on the street or move from place to place among family members, friends or acquaintances. This also includes such youth from 18 to 21 of age who may still be eligible for educational services in regular or special education;

• Children of migrant families who lack adequate housing;

• Children abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care; or

• School-age, unwed mothers or expectant mothers living in houses for unwed mothers when they have no other available living accommodations.

If your living situation changes during the school year or over the summer, and you and your child(ren) become homeless, please be sure to contact the schools. We will work with you so that your child(ren)’s education is disrupted as little as possible.

With the school year under way, it is important for students to have access to the health care they need.  The Pennsylvania Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) puts health coverage within reach for all uninsured Pennsylvania children and teens who are not eligible for Medical Assistance.

For more information, download the CHIP flier here (PDF), visit the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com or call the CHIP customer service center at (800) 986-KIDS(5437).

To view the PDF form you must have Adobe Acrobat or an equivalent PDF viewer for the document(s) to be viewed. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free program that can be downloaded on the Adobe website.