McKinney Moment, 10/2025
Mary Michell plays two important roles within our community. She is the McKinney-Vento Liaison for the South Whidbey School District and is the Families in Transition Specialist for Readiness To Learn. Mary’s office is co-located in the Family Resource Center. Part of her district role is to provide education to the school district staff, we are going to share on our blog as well!
Hey All,
This year as with the past couple years, I'll be sending brief monthly emails about McKinney-Vento (MV) that will round out our SafeSchools Training. These will be short reads to continue the familiarization of MV and what it means to our students, our school and our community.
Definition of unstably housed:
Lacking a fixed, regular & adequate nighttime residence.
Some examples:
Shared housing, Trailers/rvs, Transitional housing, Camping, Motels
Unstably housed on South Whidbey:
The majority of our MV youth are in shared housing with relatives/friends. The children can be living with their parent/s in the shared housing and are considered MV. When people don't have a lease and are at the mercy of others, whether that be family or friends, then it can inhibit their ability to live comfortably. There is often a lack of space/ privacy, no place to be alone and can be noisy/ chaotic. When living 'doubled up', do the parents get to make any rules for their children or are the rules of the house set by the family/friend? It is often a difficult and challenging situation for the family that has to 'walk on eggshells' in order to keep a roof over their head. These families are one bad argument from living in their vehicle or on the street.
Another large SW population lives either in a travel trailer/RV or are in substandard housing. Trailers/RVs are not meant to be lived in year round and often do not offer adequate space or privacy for each individual. Substandard housing may have mold, rodent infestation or plumbing/septic issues. Families in trailers or substandard housing are often stuck in these situations as they have no other affordable alternatives.
South Whidbey, like much of the country, has an affordable housing issue of which most of you are aware. When I looked at Hotpads today, there were only 4 houses available for under $2500. There were a total of 24 rentals listed and most were in the $3000-$4000 range. In order to understand, for a $2000 a month rental, one would have to make $37 an hour in order to pay 30% of the income for housing. It is a tough place to be when you are looking for housing on South Whidbey and your work is clerk, elder care, hospitality/restaurant, etc.
If you know of students that may be living in an unstable housing situation, please let me know.
SW M/V Numbers as of 10/1/25:
TK-5 = 29
6-8 = 23
9-12 = 36
Total = 88
Total Community Wide (includes babies/toddlers/preschool/homeschool): = 110
To find out more policy and advocacy for overcoming homelessness through early care and education visit https://schoolhouseconnection.org/
