The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Title IX, Part A of ESSA) is the primary piece of federal legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The Fort Smith Public Schools (FSPS) Families in Transition (FIT) is a program that ensures children and youth experiencing homelessness are provided opportunities for the same high-quality, appropriate education as the general student population. Through collaboration with school personnel, local homeless shelters and service providers, students experiencing homelessness become identified and immediately enrolled in school. The district FIT liaison, Ms. Jeanne Carroll, collaborates with each school building FIT liaison to remove barriers and help orchestrate services for each student.
