McKinney-Vento Resources

Mountain Song Community School is committed to ensuring that every student has access to a stable, supportive education, including students and families experiencing housing instability or homelessness.

What is the McKinney-Vento Act?

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that helps protect the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.

Students may qualify for McKinney-Vento services if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This can include children and youth who are:

Sharing housing with others because of loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
Living in motels, hotels, campgrounds, or other temporary accommodations because they do not have another adequate place to live
Living in emergency or transitional shelters
Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, or other places not ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations
Unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian and experiencing housing instability

Student Rights

Students eligible for McKinney-Vento protections have important educational rights. Depending on their circumstances, these may include the right to:

Enroll in school immediately, even when normally required enrollment documents are unavailable
Continue attending their school of origin when it is in the student's best interest
Receive transportation to and from their school of origin when applicable
Participate fully in school activities and receive educational services for which they are eligible
Receive support with barriers that could prevent enrollment, attendance, or academic success
Receive free school meals without completing the standard application process

Families experiencing housing instability are encouraged to contact Mountain Song. Our McKinney-Vento Liaison can help determine eligibility and connect students and families with available support.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act works alongside the McKinney-Vento Act to help ensure that students experiencing homelessness have equitable access to education and the support they need to succeed in school.

Learn more:
Colorado Department of Education — McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

Learn more about ESSA:
Colorado Department of Education — Every Student Succeeds Act

Mountain Song Liaison

Kara Wagner
Office Assistant & McKinney-Vento Liaison
Mountain Song Community School
2904 W. Kiowa St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Office: (719) 505-7873
kwagner@mountainsongschool.com

Families who are experiencing housing instability, or who aren't sure whether their current situation qualifies for McKinney-Vento support, are encouraged to contact our liaison. Conversations regarding a family's housing situation are handled with care and discretion.

Family Support & Resources

Family Questionnaire

If your family is experiencing temporary or unstable housing, completing a brief questionnaire can help Mountain Song determine whether your student may qualify for McKinney-Vento services and additional support. Email Kara for the questionnaire: kwagner@mountainsongschool.com

Email Us for the Questionnare

Community Resources

Families can also access community resources for assistance with housing, food, clothing, transportation, and other essential needs.

Westside CARES:westsidecares.org
Pikes Peak United Way 211:ppunitedway.org/211
Catholic Charities / Marian House:ccharitiescc.org
Care and Share Food Bank:careandshare.org

Community Events & Support

Mountain Song periodically coordinates or shares opportunities that may benefit families in our community, including food drives, clothing drives, and other family support events.

Upcoming opportunities will be posted here as they become available.

Support for Justice-Engaged Youth

Ensuring justice-engaged students have access to education, individualized support, and a clear pathway to continued learning and success.

Our school is committed to ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality education, meaningful opportunities to learn and participate in school life, and the supports they need to be successful. We recognize that students who have been involved with the juvenile justice system may experience unique educational, social-emotional, and re-entry needs.

In accordance with Colorado Department of Education guidance and House Bill 24-1216, we have designated a Justice-Engaged Youth Point of Contact to assist students and their families or caregivers in accessing educational opportunities and appropriate supports.

Our Justice-Engaged Youth Point of Contact can help students and families with:

Enrollment and re-enrollment: Assistance navigating our enrollment process and exploring available educational options.
Transition and re-entry support: Collaboration with students, families, and appropriate school personnel to support a successful transition back to school.
Academic planning: Review of academic records, coursework, and educational needs to help students remain on track academically.
Individualized supports: Connection with appropriate school-based teams and services, which may include counseling, special education, Section 504 supports, Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and other student support services, as appropriate.
Social-emotional and behavioral support: Connection to school and community resources that can address barriers to learning and support student well-being.
School participation: Assistance in identifying appropriate supports and accommodations that enable students to participate fully in school activities and educational opportunities.
Educational planning: Collaboration with the student and family to develop a clear and appropriate educational pathway toward continued learning and, when applicable, graduation and postsecondary opportunities.
Community resources: Connection to appropriate wraparound and community-based services when additional support is needed.

Our goal is to work collaboratively with students, families, school staff, and community partners to reduce barriers to education and help every student remain connected to school and make meaningful progress toward their educational goals.

Justice-Engaged Youth Point of Contact

Dr. Dani Lindo; Assistant Director of Education
Phone: 719-203-6364
Email: dlindo@mountainsongschool.com

Families, students, caregivers, or professionals supporting a justice-engaged student are encouraged to contact our Point of Contact with questions or concerns regarding enrollment, re-entry, educational services, or available supports. We are committed to responding promptly and working collaboratively to identify appropriate educational pathways and resources.

For additional information about Colorado's support for Justice-Engaged Youth, please visit the Colorado Department of Education's Justice-Engaged Youth webpage.