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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2022
For More Information Contact:

JP O'Hare

(518) 474-1201

Press@nysed.gov

www.nysed.gov

 

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New York State Education Department Awards $7.1 Million in Federal Grants to Programs Supporting Homeless Students

Funding Will Support More Than 116,500 Students Across New York State

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) awarded more than $7 million in grants authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. NYSED awarded grants to 27 school districts, five Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)-led consortiums, three district-led consortiums, and one charter school consortium. Funds will promote school success for more than 116,500 students in temporary housing in more than 70 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across the state. 

Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, “The pandemic and economic turmoil that came with it exacerbated uncertainty for many families and increased the number of students who face housing insecurity. Studies show that education is the most important long-term prevention strategy to address youth homelessness. Using this funding, schools and districts are better able to ensure that our state’s homeless children have equal access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.”

Commissioner Rosa said, “Students should be free to learn without anxiety or fear of their temporary housing status. These grants will be used to ease some of those concerns, so students are better able to focus on learning. From services like tutoring to health care to establishing learning environments at shelters and providing violence prevention programs, the strategies these awardees develop will provide critical assistance for homeless students and their families.”

Activities provided with McKinney-Vento funds must facilitate students' improved attendance, engagement, and academic success in temporary housing. Applicants developed plans to address a student’s social-emotional, academic, physical, and mental health needs in the proposals they submitted for their McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program.

Each awarded application demonstrated a well-developed project that included activities such as, but not limited to, facilitating mentoring or tutoring programs; coordinating counseling services; family support programming; professional development; transportation to and from extracurricular activities; preschool outreach; weekend food programs; and physical improvements to shelter or school space to create a safe and supportive educational environment.

The McKinney-Vento Grant Program award amounts are based upon the three-year average number of students in temporary housing identified for each LEA. LEAs with less than 100 students had the opportunity to enter into consortiums to apply for the funds. The awards range from $125,000 for districts serving 100-500 students in temporary housing to $2.5 million for districts serving more than 50,000 students in temporary housing. Many LEA applications included plans for creating and implementing trauma-sensitive programs. The grant period will be September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2025. Funding for years two and three will be awarded at the same level as year one.

A complete list of grant awards is below:

List of Grant Awards
LEA 1-year award 3-year award

Albany City School District

$175,000

$525,000

Auburn City School District

$124,883

$374,649

Binghamton Central School District

$124,954

$374,862

Dunkirk City School District

$125,000

$375,000

East Ramapo Central School District

$174,991

$524,973

Family Life Academy Charter School (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

Freeport UFSD

$124,989

$374,967

Fulton City School District

$119,363

$358,089

Greater Amsterdam School District

$125,000

$375,000

Greece Central School District

$125,000

$375,000

Liberty Central Schools

$125,000

$375,000

Lockport City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Middletown City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Monticello Central School District

$125,000

$375,000

Mount Vernon City School District

$175,000

$525,000

Niagara Falls School District

$125,000

$375,000

North-Rose Wolcott (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

New York City Department of Education

$2,500,000

$7,500,000

Orange Ulster BOCES (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

Oswego City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Port Chester-Rye UFSD

$125,000

$375,000

Rochester City School District

$250,000

$750,000

Rome City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Rotterdam-Mohonasen Central School District (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

Saratoga Springs City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Sodus Central School District (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

Southern Westchester BOCES (Consortium)

$125,000

$375,000

Syracuse City School District

$250,000

$750,000

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES (Consortium #1)

$125,000

$375000

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES (Consortium #2)

$125,000

$375,000

St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES (Consortium #3)

$125,000

$375,000

Uniondale UFSD

$125,000

$375,000

Utica City School District

$125,000

$375,000

Valley Central School District

$125,000

$375,000

White Plains Public Schools

$125,000

$375,000

Yonkers City School District

$125,000

$375,000

 

For more information on the number of homeless students in New York State, information on the McKinney-Vento Grant program, or to learn more about how the New York State Education Department is supporting LEAs as they work with students in temporary housing, please visit The New York State Technical and Educational Assistance Center for Homeless Students website.