Suit puts 88 more homeless students in school

After the suit ended, Lewis said, she was able to swiftly transfer her one son and two daughters from Waianae to schools in Kapolei after moving in with relatives in the neighborhood. Her boy, who is 14, also was allowed to have free lunch whereas before only the girls, ages 12 and 10, were getting meals at no charge.

“We told them that we were homeless and they just approved it,” the 37-year-old said.

Esther Santos, a children services case manager at the Ka Hale A Keola Homeless Resource Center on Maui, said about 12 children are for the first time being bused to the school they were enrolled in before relocating to a shelter closer to other campuses.

“There has been a great difference,” she said. “The law states they get to stay at their home school. They don’t have to transfer.”

Studies have shown that homeless students can be set back by as much as eight months academically each time they change schools, said Victor Geminiani, executive director of Lawyers for Equal Justice, which joined with other legal groups in bringing the lawsuit against the Education Department.

He said the organization is pleased with how education officials have responded so far.

“We have not heard any problems at all,” Geminiani said. “I’m really happy that the state finally settled the case.”