Like other parts of the county, Broward County has begun to welcome families who have been displaced by the tremendous devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. And part of the relocation process is getting children enrolled in school.

So far, Broward County has enrolled about 80 students in classes across the county. And that number is expected to rise dramatically as more families make their way to Broward to stay with friends and relatives as they begin to pick up the pieces and start over.

The goal is to get some sense of “normalcy” back in the lives of the children affected. And there’s no way better than getting them enrolled in school and back in class. Following Federal law and Florida Department of Education guidelines, the District is making the registration process very easy for these families.

The District will:

• Whenever possible, have families show documentation that they are from the hurricane stricken states: Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama;
• Assist with school registrations, transportation and boundary exemptions (These students do not need normal documentation to enter schools, they are boundary exempt and the District can provide transportation to out of boundary schools);
• Identify and refer students and families to any support services needed, including therapeutic services for the crisis they just went through, including grief counseling (families may be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome);
• Offer the free meal program (breakfast and lunch) to all displaced students;
• Waive the usual 30-day grace period extended to homeless children to provide all enrollment documentation, including school physicals and immunizations, if such documents are not available.
• Provide basic school supplies, which include book bags and reading books at appropriate grade levels.
• Provide clothing gift cards for each child for school uniforms and/or other clothing.
• Give referrals to partner non-profit organizations to provide new shoes for all hurricane-displaced children.

In addition, all the displaced students enrolling in Broward’s public schools will be eligible for Title I services, whether they are in a Title I school or not.

The District is also offering help to the parents and guardians of the students by working to fill current job vacancies with those displaced individuals who are qualified for the positions.

Teachers who were forced to leave their homes will be offered teaching positions, with the District waiving the need for local certification in the needed subject area. In addition, the Human Resources Department is working on similar accommodations for those who could fill other positions, such as bus drivers, custodians, food service workers and more.

The District is coordinating with other Broward agencies, including the local Red Cross, in helping these families relocate and get settled in our community, and these efforts will continue as long as there is a need.