inewsource Mail - San Diego Unified Homeless Student Funding 6/1/18, 5(28 PM Megan Wood San Diego Unified Homeless Student Funding Suzy Reid To: superintendent@cde.ca.gov Cc: therman@cde.ca.gov, Marten Cynthia Bcc: meganwood@inewsource.org Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 12:16 PM June 1, 2018 Dear State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, Mr. Torlakson, we are writing to you regarding the Education for Homeless Children and Youths Grant that was denied to San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) based on one missing signature on their application. The news of this loss was brought to the attention of the District Advisory Council for Compensatory Education (DAC), the body that oversees Title I funding. As the elected officers of the DAC, we advocate for all students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch and work to ensure they receive equitable services here in SDUSD. Homeless students make up a large percentage of the population we serve, and we feel compelled to advocate on their behalf regarding this decision. We believe that there needs to be a better process for letting applicants know when there is an omission of this magnitude. More needs to be done to support one of our most vulnerable student populations. Allowing one missing signature, out of the required three, to determine the difference between sustained funding for three years and no funding at all, is a tragedy. San Diego Unified has the third highest percentage of homeless students in the state. With such as large homeless student population, we feel one missing signature should at least warrant a call from the grant manager in charge of receiving applications. For the application to be considered “incomplete” based on the lack of one signature seems extreme. We understand the requirements laid out in the application process, and respect those requirements, however this particular situation seems to warrant further action. The practice of designating an application "incomplete" due to one missing signature needs to be reconsidered. More specifically, an appeals process for LEAs that have incomplete applications due to the lack of one missing signature needs to be considered. SDUSD was previously awarded funding through the same block grant in 2015, 2016 and 2017. To have the application rejected based on the absence of one of the three required signatures seems quite severe, especially since there is no clearly identified “Director of State and Federal Programs” for SDUSD. It seems overly harsh to reject, without review, an application from a previously established grantee based on such. What is the world coming to when the lack of a signature is keeping the third largest population of homeless students in California from receiving additional support and resources? As the elected officers of the District Advisory Council for Compensatory Education for San Diego Unified schools, we request that the district’s Education for Homeless Children and Youths Grant application be reviewed. We also request that the process allow for appeals from LEAs that may have missed one of the three required signatures. The homeless students in San Diego Unified deserve the opportunity to receive additional services and support. Thank you for your time and attention to this sensitive matter. Sincerely, Suzy Reid, parent and Chair of the District Advisory Council https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d543d9e916&jsver=-dxV…view=pt&msg=163bcc7c05c6a973&search=inbox&siml=163bcc7c05c6a973 Page 1 of 2 inewsource Mail - San Diego Unified Homeless Student Funding 6/1/18, 5(28 PM Jeff Bennett, parent and 1st Vice Chair of the District Advisory Council Debbie Hamilton, parent and 2nd Vice Chair of the District Advisory Council cc: Rep. Scott Peters Tom Herman, Administrator, Coordinated School Health & Safety Superintendent Cindy Marten https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d543d9e916&jsver=-dxV…view=pt&msg=163bcc7c05c6a973&search=inbox&siml=163bcc7c05c6a973 Page 2 of 2