The Iowa Department of Education on Wednesday announced over 320 thousand dollars in emergency grant funds available to support Iowa school districts serving students experiencing homelessness as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the recent weather-related disasters.
Districts eligible for the Emergency Grants to Serve Students Experiencing Homelessness program must be located in a county that was included in a disaster emergency proclamation issued by Governor Reynolds between April 26th and June 28th. In addition, 25 percent or more of the school community must be impacted by the weather-related disaster outlined in one of the proclamations, and ten percent or more of the school community must be displaced or facing homelessness due to the weather-related disaster.
Eligible districts can apply for up to 80 thousand dollars in funding to provide wrap-around services and support for students who are facing homelessness as a result of the natural disaster so they can attend school and fully participate in school activities. Allowable use of funds may include, but are not limited to…
- Short-term emergency housing, including motel/hotel stays.
- School supplies, including school uniform fees, book/registration fees, activity registration fees and any supplies designated for school or extracurricular activities.
- Groceries and wellness items, including clean clothing, personal hygiene items and household cleaning supplies.
- Transportation assistance, including gas cards for the purchase of fuel.
- School uniform fees, book/registration fees, activity registration fees and supplies designated for school or extracurricular activities.
- The adaptation of space and purchase of supplies for any non-school facilities, including shelving for the creation of a food pantry/clothing closet, refrigeration units for a food pantry, washer and dryer units and cots for emergency shelters.
- Costs for medical, dental, mental and other health services.
- Costs associated with tracking, obtaining and transferring records necessary to enroll in school, including birth certificates, immunization or other required health records, academic records, guardianship records and evaluations for special programs or services.
- Resources and activities to support the involvement of parents and guardians in the education of their children.
- Costs associated with the coordination of schools and agencies in providing services to students facing homelessness.
Applications for the Emergency Grants to Serve Students Experiencing Homelessness program are now being accepted at www.IowaGrants.gov. Applications must be submitted by the end of the day on July 31st.
