| The $800 million that the American Rescue Plan earmarked for homeless students is the largest such federal expenditure in a decade, with that money, thus far, paying for everything from student cellphones to educators’ overtime pay to hiring more special education staff. Nevertheless, as those dollars trickled out to school districts, what was still being determined is how much of the funding will go toward homeless students with disabilities and in what ways it will be spent. “As with any vulnerable population, [homeless students with disabilities] are exactly the people most likely to slip through the cracks,” said Michael Hickey, executive director for students in temporary housing at the New York City Department of Education. “The gold standard is that every one of those young people has access to somebody who is dedicated to being their navigation partner,” identifying and addressing their greatest challenges. |
