Supporting students

Illinois school districts can now help pay for extended motel stays for homeless students and their families under a new state law that supporters say could provide stability for children in crisis – but state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, warns it lacks adequate safeguards.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4137 into law July 24. The measure, which took effect immediately, amends the state’s Education for Homeless Children Act to allow school districts to provide extended motel stays for students who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, who sponsored the measure in the Senate, said housing instability can directly interfere with a child’s education.

“Providing children and their families a safe place to stay when the resources are available to do so is non-negotiable,” Villa said. “Eliminating barriers to learning, including housing insecurity, is essential to ensuring education remains accessible.”

Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Terrance Jordan agrees.

“It’s a great idea actually, because, you know, if a person is homeless and districts have the resources to help, then that’s always great because we don’t want any of our kids or families to be without shelter and the things that they need to be successful at school,” Jordan said.

A stable place to sleep, he added, can make a difference in whether a student arrives at school prepared to learn.

The new law expands assistance school districts were already authorized to provide. Previously, districts could help families with rent or mortgage payments and certain unpaid bills, loans or other debts when those financial problems threatened a child’s housing. HB 4137 adds extended motel stays to the list of permissible assistance.

Villa said the goal is to give families temporary stability while they obtain or maintain permanent housing.

“No matter their family’s situation, children deserve the opportunity to learn – without disruptions to their education,” Villa said. “This law will help keep students in school and families in their community.”

Before providing housing assistance, a district must first attempt to obtain help through a homeless-assistance agency participating in the federal McKinney-Vento continuum of care. If that effort is unsuccessful, certain school transportation funds may be used. The law also requires a written housing plan approved by both the district and the child’s parent, guardian or the person who enrolled the child.

A child considered at risk of homelessness must have documentation showing his or her current living arrangement is expected to become inadequate within eight weeks. That documentation can include eviction or foreclosure notices, utility shutoff notices or financial documentation accompanying a written statement from the family.

Jordan said the legislation does not provide a new state appropriation for districts that choose to provide motel assistance.

“In the legislation it says a school may, so I’m assuming it’s if they have the resources,” he said.

But Jordan said the concept isn’t new to Springfield District 186.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal relief money was available, the district set aside resources to help families facing housing problems. Jordan, then the district’s director of family and community engagement, said the district worked with hotels, stores and furniture businesses to help families.

Jordan said the district also benefits from Springfield’s network of nonprofit organizations, businesses and other community partners.

“What I’ve learned from working in this community is that it’s rich in resources, and we have a lot of partners that just come in and help,” he said.

Pritzker’s office said the legislation gives districts another way to intervene before housing instability disrupts a child’s education.

“HB 4137 gives school districts another practical tool to prevent their students from experiencing homelessness, before it impacts them and uproots their lives,” spokeswoman Jillian Kaehler said in a statement.

She said allowing extended motel stays can help families remain near their children’s schools while searching for permanent housing.

But McClure, who voted against the measure, said he worries districts could end up financing living arrangements without the safety checks that would accompany involvement by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“If there’s a student who’s homeless, they need to call DCFS,” McClure said. “School staff, teachers, they’re mandatory reporters, so they have to call DCFS.”

McClure said DCFS can investigate a child’s living situation and determine whether a proposed apartment, house or other placement is safe. He fears that under the new law, a district could help pay for a motel room where a child is staying with an adult who has not been adequately vetted.

“There’s all kinds of scenarios that could be very bad that take place when you just give somebody a blank check with no safeguards in place, without any DCFS involvement,” McClure said.

McClure also questioned whether a school district could face civil or even criminal liability if a child were harmed or money provided by the district were used for illegal purposes.

“There’s some real legal issues here, but more importantly, there’s some real safety issues for the students, and that is not good,” he said.

Villa responded that the law is not directed at children who are abused or neglected but at those who are unhoused, so it wouldn’t fall under DCFS purview. She noted that federal law already mandates schools do everything possible to eliminate barriers for students who are homeless. This is not adding a new requirement but offering an additional opportunity to help, she said.

And the law does impose conditions on the assistance. Districts must first seek help through the area’s homeless-assistance network and must establish a written housing plan approved by the district and the adult responsible for enrolling the student. McClure also criticized lawmakers for authorizing the program without providing districts with additional state money.

For Jordan, the legislation recognizes something District 186 has already encountered: A school’s ability to educate a child can be affected by circumstances well beyond the school building.

“I’m glad that the governor realizes that it’s important for the district to play a part in providing resources and supporting and helping those families that are experiencing homelessness,” Jordan said. “And I support that.”  

Scott Reeder can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.

This article appears in August 20-26, 2026.