RCW 28A.707.020: State plan for education.

(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall submit to the legislature a plan to provide for the education of homeless children and youths within the state. Such plan must include the following:

(a) A description of how homeless children and youths are, or will be, given the opportunity to meet the same challenging state academic standards as all students are expected to meet;

(b) A description of the procedures the office of the superintendent of public instruction will use to identify homeless children and youths in the state and to assess their needs;

(c) A description of procedures for the prompt resolution of disputes regarding the educational placement of homeless children and youths;

(d) A description of programs for school personnel, including school district liaisons designated under (j)(ii) of this subsection, principals and other school leaders, attendance officers, teachers, enrollment personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel, to heighten the awareness of such school personnel of the specific needs of homeless children and youths, including such children and youths who are runaway and homeless youths;

(e) A description of procedures that ensure that homeless children and youths who meet the relevant eligibility criteria are able to participate in federal, state, or local nutrition programs;

(f) A description of procedures that ensure that:

(i) Homeless children and youths who meet the relevant eligibility criteria have access to public preschool programs administered by school districts to the same extent as other children;

(ii) Homeless children and youths, and youths separated from public schools, are identified and accorded equal access to appropriate secondary education and support services, including by identifying and removing barriers that prevent youths described in this subsection from receiving appropriate credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed while attending a prior school, in accordance with state, local, and school policies; and

(iii) Homeless children and youths who meet the relevant eligibility criteria do not face barriers to accessing academic and extracurricular activities, including magnet school, summer school, career and technical education, advanced placement, alternative learning experience courses, and charter school programs, if such programs are available at the local levels;

(g) Strategies to address problems identified in the report provided to the secretary of the United States department of education under RCW 28A.707.060(2)(c), if applicable;

(h) Strategies to address other problems with respect to the education of homeless children and youths, including problems resulting from enrollment delays that are caused by:

(i) Requirements of immunization and other required health records;

(ii) Residency requirements;

(iii) Lack of birth certificates, school records, or other documentation;

(iv) Guardianship issues; or

(v) Uniform or dress code requirements;

(i) A demonstration that the office of the superintendent of public instruction and all school districts have developed, and shall review and revise, policies to remove barriers to the identification of homeless children and youths, and the enrollment and retention of homeless children and youths in schools in the state, including barriers to enrollment and retention due to outstanding fees or fines, or absences, if applicable;

(j) Assurances that the following will be carried out:

(i) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and all school districts will adopt policies and practices to ensure that homeless children and youths are not stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as homeless;

(ii) All school districts will designate an appropriate staff person, able to carry out the duties described in RCW 28A.707.050, who may also be a coordinator for other federal programs, as a school district liaison for homeless children and youths;

(iii) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and all school districts will adopt policies and practices to ensure that transportation is provided, at the request of the parent or guardian, or in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the school district liaison, to and from the school of origin, as determined in accordance with RCW 28A.707.030, and in accordance with the following, as applicable:

(A) If the homeless child or youth continues to live in the area served by the school district in which the school of origin is located, the homeless child's or youth's transportation to and from the school of origin must be provided or arranged by the school district in which the school of origin is located; and

(B) If the homeless child's or youth's living arrangements in the area served by the school district of origin terminate and the homeless child or youth, though continuing the homeless child's or youth's education in the school of origin, begins living in an area served by another school district, the school district of origin and the school district in which the homeless child or youth is living shall agree upon a method to apportion the responsibility and costs for providing the homeless child or youth with transportation to and from the school of origin. If the school districts are unable to agree upon such method, the responsibility and costs for transportation must be shared equally; and

(iv) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and all school districts will adopt policies and practices to ensure participation by school district liaisons in professional development and other technical assistance activities provided pursuant to RCW 28A.707.060(2) (e) and (f), as determined appropriate by the office of the coordinator for education of homeless children and youths established in RCW 28A.707.060; and

(k) A description of how homeless youths will receive assistance from counselors to advise such youths and prepare and improve the readiness of such youths for college.

(2) The plan adopted under this section must also: Describe how the state will ensure that school districts will comply with the requirements of RCW 28A.707.030, and indicate what technical assistance the state will furnish to school districts and how compliance efforts will be coordinated with the school district liaisons designated under subsection (1)(j)(ii) of this section.