HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A Henrico mother's children will be heading back to school after they were withdrawn over residency claims.
Kei'asia Williams and her brother Darell will be able to return Pinchbeck Elementary School after sitting out for three weeks.
After a tip came in to the school system that the children didn't live in the attendance zone, so the district investigated and withdrew the kids from school.
Jasmine Jenkins' two children look on as she talks to reporter Shelby Brown.
Henrico County Public Schools sent a letter to the children’s mother, Jasmine Jenkins, stating that she did not verify that they all actually lived there.
The mom was adamant that there was a mistake, so Jenkins contacted the CBS 6 Problem Solvers.
Reporter Shelby Brown found out about a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act that classifies students as homeless if they meet some of the following conditions.
If the family is “doubling up” with relatives, friends or strangers. If they live in emergency or transitional shelters, that also qualifies a child.
A few of the others include if they live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds, cars, public spaces or abandoned buildings.
As a result, the mom reached out the school district since she has no home or apartment in her name and no permanent address.
Jenkins said after she explained her situation, she was stunned.
“She said, ‘Well, Ms. Jenkins, they were never supposed to be taken out of school until the investigation was done,’” Jenkins said. “At first I said, ‘Is it real?’ She said the kids would be back in school tomorrow.”
The kids are especially grateful for how their mom fought for them and never gave up.
“I think she's very thoughtful and I thank her a lot for getting us back into the school program so that we can get a happy life and a better education,” Darell Williams said.
Jenkins said she will take the necessary paperwork to the kids’ school early Friday morning and get them back into class.
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