Homeless Student Identification Rises for Third Consecutive Year, Nationwide Survey Shows
New data reveals frontline perspectives on supporting America’s most vulnerable students
October 8, 2025 (Lynnwood, Wash.) – Pathwise (formerly TransAct), a leading provider of operational and compliance solutions for K–12 education, today released the results of its third annual Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study, documenting the realities faced by district liaisons supporting students experiencing homelessness. The 2025 survey of liaisons from 48 states and the District of Columbia found that funding pressures, identification challenges, and limited staff capacity continue to shape district responses.
For the third straight year, a majority of districts reported increases in the number of students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible. Caseloads are also becoming more concentrated: the share of liaisons supporting more than 400 students rose from 13% to 19% year-over-year.
“The findings from this year’s study make clear that student homelessness is not easing,” said Nate Brogan, CEO of Pathwise. “For three years in a row, the majority of districts have reported increases, and many liaisons are now managing larger caseloads than ever before. These professionals are doing everything they can under intense constraints, but without stable funding and stronger systems, the needs of these students will continue to outpace the capacity to serve them.”
Regional patterns show similar concentration. Among the 15 states with the highest response volume, just over half of the districts reported increases this year. Last year, nearly two-thirds of respondents across 19 states reported increases, and six states saw 70% or more growth. The consistency of state-level hot spots suggests that student homelessness is intensifying locally even when statewide totals fluctuate.
Districts also continue to rely heavily on disconnected and manual systems to track McKinney-Vento data, including spreadsheets (36%) paper records (19%) and other software tools (6%). This fragmented approach makes it harder to quickly identify eligible students, coordinate services, and ensure compliance. To address these challenges, Pathwise provides a dedicated case management platform designed specifically for McKinney-Vento program management. The platform enables districts to streamline identification, coordinate services across schools and community partners, track transportation support, and meet federal documentation requirements, all in one unified system.
Additionally, now that ARP Homeless II funding has ended, 14% of districts cited severe transportation challenges. Given that providing transportation to at-risk students can directly impact attendance as well as student outcomes, districts are turning to solutions that can help them optimize their existing transportation infrastructure to serve the needs of these students without impacting their budgets. Pathwise’s transportation routing suite helps schools optimize routes as well as vehicle and driver usage, reduce manual coordination, and keep families well-informed.
“Districts are making difficult decisions in the absence of federal relief,” added Brogan. “Transportation, identification, and service capacity are becoming pressure points, and without support, the weight shifts to already overextended staff.”
The 2025 Nationwide McKinney-Vento Study offers a detailed view of district experiences, including caseload distribution, data management practices, inter-district communication, and the impact of housing instability on student support.
To access the full insights, download the report here.
About Pathwise
Pathwise is an operations technology company that helps schools streamline complex processes and reduce administrative burdens so they can prioritize student success. Founded and headquartered in Lynnwood, WA, the company supports more than 3,000+ school districts and charter organizations, as well as more than 25 state departments of education, with expertise-driven tools across transportation, governance and program management.
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Contact: Jennifer London, Vice President of Marketing
Email: jennifer.london@pathwisek12.com
Phone: +1 564-225-2790