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Colorado

McKinney-Vento Support for Colorado School District Liaisons

We understand that as a McKinney-Vento liaison in Colorado, you likely handle various responsibilities within your district. With school districts serving students from Denver to Colorado Springs and throughout the state, our mission is to help you become the most effective liaison possible while enhancing your service coordination.

Colorado
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The Challenge in Colorado

Colorado presents a dynamic and often challenging landscape for addressing student homelessness, encompassing rapidly growing urban centers, popular mountain resort towns, and vast rural areas. The state is in a severe affordable housing crisis.

17,894 students were identified in the 2022-2023 school year; total enrollment was over 870k; Colorado's identification rate for students experiencing homelessness was at 2.1%.1

Housing

A lack of safe, affordable, and stable housing is a pervasive struggle across Colorado, significantly impacting educational access and stability for homeless students. The state faces a housing deficit with persistently high land and construction costs driving unaffordability.
 
  • Many students experience homelessness by living in doubled-up situations with others due to economic hardship. In the 2022-2023 school year, 70.6% of identified homeless students in Colorado were living in doubled-up residences.2
  • In urban areas, high population growth and limited land for development, drive up housing costs. Homelessness is often more visible here, with students residing in emergency shelters, motels, or transitional housing.
  • Rural and mountain communities also face distinct housing challenges. Limited land due to mountainous terrain or public land designations restricts development, while resort towns see surges in demand from both primary and secondary home buyers, leading to dramatic price increases. Homelessness in these areas can be harder to count and address.

Transportation

Limited and costly transportation options across Colorado contribute significantly to chronic absenteeism and difficulties in school attendance for homeless students, posing a persistent barrier across all community types.
 
  • In urban centers like Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs, challenges can include the expense of public transit, navigating complex transportation networks, and managing long commutes to maintain school stability, particularly for students whose temporary housing is far from their school of origin. School districts also face bus driver shortages.
  • In rural and mountain areas, the primary obstacles are the lack of public transportation options and vast distances between temporary residences and schools. Reliance on limited school bus routes or the absence of city systems compounds barriers to consistent school attendance, often requiring school districts to find creative, sometimes costly, solutions for student access.

Did you know?

The national average of children and youth identified as experiencing homelessness is 3% of students enrolled in public education.3 Colorado identified 2.1% during the 2022-2023 school year, below the average.

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How McKinney-Vento.org Supports Colorado Liaisons

Streamlined Compliance

We help you meet federal regulations with up-to-date checklists, policy templates, and annual audit preparation tailored for Colorado schools.

Enhanced Identification: Your "Army of Awareness"

Custom training materials and awareness campaigns adapted for rural and urban districts help staff recognize housing insecurity early.

Comprehensive Training

Live webinars and on-demand modules-covering trauma-informed practices, transportation logistics, and rural outreach-available year round.

Data Management and Funding Support

Tools to track students, manage eligibility, and access local/federal funding (e.g., Title I, II) help boost resource allocation.

Expert Guidance and Advocacy Support

Subject Matter Experts with many years of McKinney-Vento implementation are ready to provide support on challenging cases, work through situations and help you connect with resources to support your work.
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Success with McKinney-Vento.org

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“ As I changed school districts this last year, I have become more aware of the homelessness in the school systems. I have moved to a district with many newcomers and most have come with out parents or guardians. This information is very helpful. I am going to pay more attention to situations and help when needed. ”

Cynthia J.

Colorado

Why Colorado Districts Choose McKinney-Vento.org

check-mark McKinney-Vento Expertise

McKinney-Vento.org delivers specialized training and compliance tools for identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness under federal education law.

 

check-mark Proven Results Since 2014

Our track record speaks for itself – from small rural districts to large urban systems, we've consistently delivered measurable improvements in homeless student support and educational stability.

 

check-mark The Only Turnkey Solution Available

Stop piecing together incomplete solutions. We provide the industry's only comprehensive, turnkey McKinney-Vento implementation system designed specifically for today's educational environment.

State Coordinator Contact

Paula Gumina, Highly Mobile Student Programs Manager State Coordinator, Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Phone: (303) 551-3851

Citations

1,2,3 Child and Youth Homelessness Data Profiles powered by University of Michigan Poverty Solutions and SHC
  https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/schoolhouseconnection/viz/ChildandYouthHomelessnessDataProfiles/National 

Ready to Better Support Colorado's Homeless Students?

Join the growing number of Colorado districts using McKinney-Vento.org to navigate housing crises and ensure educational stability for all students.

We'll help you find the funding and build internal support to make this program successful across Colorado's diverse communities.

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