CMSD seeks homeless liaison to support homeless students and families
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Homelessness affects people right here in the Golden Triangle – including children. In Columbus, there is currently no homeless shelter.
That’s why the Columbus Municipal School District is working to fill a position that would assist in bridging the gap for students who are homeless, providing resources and working with social services.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Columbus Municipal School District saw a drastic increase in the number of students experiencing homelessness. That’s according to federal programs director Emma Cornwall.
It wasn’t just CMSD seeing this issue, Cornwall said schools across the nation saw an increase.
Back then, she said, the federal government provided funds to support this growing need, and they used the funds to support those students during the COVID era.
Now, the district wants to continue these services by bringing in a homeless liaison.
“Homeless students face multiple barriers,” Cornwall said. “You’re talking about social or emotional issues, you might be talking about nutrition issues, you’re talking about trying to maintain a stable educational environment so they can continue their education without any hindrances, or anything that’s going to interrupt that.”
For the 2025-2026 school year, Cornwall says there are 13 students experiencing homelessness.
“That is a little high for the beginning of the school term. By the end of the year, May, June, we could possibly have up to 19 to 25 students,” Cornwall said. “These are students who don’t necessarily have a roof over their heads at night. They could be living in hotels or doubling up with multiple families. So we’re trying to help the students and the parents to find housing, to make sure they have adequate support, especially in the wintertime when it’s cold and they might not have the clothing or the coats and those types of things that they need. We work with our nutritional department to make sure that on weekends, these kids have snacks and food. So there are a lot of barriers that we try to mitigate so that we can make sure that these kids during this time we can maintain a stable environment, so their education is not hindered. ”
In working with the parents, Cornwall said the liaison will also assist parents with their needs.
The position is made possible through a McKinney-Vento grant. The liaison will work with agencies in the community to provide support for homeless students and parents.
“As a district, we want to make sure our homeless kids are served,” Cornwall said. “We eliminate those barriers that could hinder them from having a successful education, a successful school year. So the position is really an important position that we fill to help support our kids.”
This is a contracted position, not a permanent job in the district. The person for the job would need to be flexible and available to work when needed. The person would also need prior work experience with agencies in the community.
Cornwall said that since these services are important to the district, they will continue to try and get the grant funds
Cornwall said they are hoping to fill the position soon. If you are interested in the position, contact the Federal Programs director for the Columbus Municipal School District at 662-241-7421.
