State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick has been in contact with Maryland’s 24 school systems today, counseling them on the importance of swift enrollment of school-age children who may be moving to the state to stay with relatives following the storm.

“Our position is to enroll first and ask questions later,” Dr. Grasmick said.  “These children and their families have experienced a horrifying natural disaster just as school was about to begin.  Maryland schools stand ready to enroll these children and get them back into the classroom.”

Maryland also developed a statewide fundraising campaign to raise donations for hurricane relief.  Maryland school children will be invited to send their donations to help hurricane victims.

“While talking about the hurricane with some elementary school students, it became clear that they had seen the devastation from the Gulf Coast in news reports and that they wanted to help,” Dr. Grasmick noted.  “Our staff will be working with various partners to coordinate this effort on a statewide basis.”

Dr. Grasmick has placed calls to the state education agency leaders in both Louisiana and Mississippi in an effort to learn how Maryland can help.   More than 150,000 elementary and middle school students in the Gulf Coast states were displaced by the effects of the storm, according to estimates.

At least six of Maryland’s 24 school systems have already been contacted by families of children hoping to enroll in local schools. 

In a memo to local school superintendents, Dr. Gramick said that school-age children should be accepted as homeless under the guidelines of the federal McKinney-Vento Act.  Under this policy, students are enrolled immediately and usual school rules regarding birth and health records are postponed.