On one hand, it reveals that state governments have eliminated many of the laws and regulations that had been keeping homeless children out of the classroom. But the report also makes it clear that states need to make a stronger effort to overcome the obstacles that remain. However, because of limited funding, only three percent of the nation's school districts received McKinney subgrant dollars in the 1993-94 school year. Transportation is the chief barrier to serving homeless children. Few districts try to help children stay in the school they attended before becoming homeless, even though doing so is usually in their best interest.
Homeless teenagers are especially vulnerable.
State and local programs tend to neglect them, and many live without a parent or guardian to provide emotional support or required signatures on school forms. Homeless children often lack basic school supplies, and the problem is worsened when they are charged fines or fees in connection with activities or the purchase of materials. It is often difficult for school leaders to locate and identify homeless children. In part, this is because many local authorities place homeless families in hotels and motels that are sometimes well outside the central city. Last year, voters in the Garden State rejected more than half of all district spending plans.