Homeless Students a Priority in Access to Education

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently began distributing the "Illinois Homeless Education Answer Booklet for Shelters" to all 273 Illinois family homeless shelters. As part of a campaign to help eliminate the barriers homeless students face in getting access to public education, the booklet was developed to provide information on how shelters can help to ensure homeless students get enrolled in school.

Calling the education of homeless children a priority, State Superintendent Christopher Koch said, "Regardless of why or where students may be homeless, they have a right to go to school."

Although data collected in 2006 by local school districts showed approximately 18,000 Illinois students were homeless, more current research places that number closer to 60,000.

Learn more about efforts to ensure an education for Illinois' homeless children by reading the news release issue by the ISBE.