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1998 SESSION

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981315836
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 61 Offered January 19, 1998 Requesting the Department of Education to include homelessness as a risk factor in its at-risk programs. ----------
Patrons-- Hamilton, Cantor, Darner, Deeds, Jackson and Jones, J.C.; Senators: Houck and Miller, Y.B.
---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 17,000 homeless children in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, over half of these children are of school age; and

WHEREAS, there are currently only 17 school divisions which receive federal funds for the education of homeless children; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that over 60 percent of Virginia's homeless students attend schools in districts that do not receive designated funding; and

WHEREAS, homeless students share many of the characteristics of other at-risk students, which impede their ability to achieve academic success; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education currently administers numerous programs for at-risk students; and

WHEREAS, for many of these programs, the Department of Education provides guidance to local school divisions in determining eligible populations to serve with the specific at-risk allocations; and

WHEREAS, it is more cost-effective to include homeless students in existing programs serving at-risk students than to develop a statewide stand-alone program; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Education be requested to include homelessness as a risk factor in its at-risk programs. The Department is requested to review its current programs for at-risk students and identify those for which inclusion of homeless students as an eligible student population would be appropriate, and provide guidance to the local educational authorities regarding the inclusion of the homeless student population in their development of targeted programs; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of Education that he may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly in this matter.