Navigating Equity and Compliance for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Charter School’s McKinney-Vento Dilemma

This case explores the leadership dilemma faced by Ms. Patterson, Executive Director of Harbor Academy, a two-campus charter school in a postindustrial New England city. After a critical news article highlights the school’s underidentification of students experiencing homelessness, Ms. Patterson launches a reflective inquiry into McKinney-Vento compliance. Despite serving a predominantly low-income population, the school reports fewer than 10 students as homeless. Through a leadership team meeting, she and her staff confront capacity constraints, limited training, and policy barriers to identification. The case invites discussion around equity, legal mandates, and leadership decision-making in resource-constrained settings. Designed for educational leadership and charter management training and preparation, it raises critical questions about compliance, resource allocation, and how charter schools can equitably serve highly mobile and unhoused students.