The State Board of Education (SBE) has approved grant funding of $1.2 million for 32 school districts and schools for homeless education services, the Arizona Department of Education reported.

The grant will help approximately 30,000 homeless students. The program's goals are to assist its target students with school attendance, enrollment and retention.

“We are fortunate to have received this additional federal allocation,” Alexis Clermont, state coordinator for homeless education, said in a press release. “It has allowed us to increase our expanded reach to schools. These extra funds mean that more schools and more of Arizona’s underserved children have equal access to a high-quality education.”

The program receives federal funding from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, which went into effect in 2001. The Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona State Board of Education take part in administering the program and approving the funds, respectively.

“It is important to me that the needs of all of our students are met,” Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas said in the release. “We know that these children are an especially vulnerable population. Not only have we been able to meet the needs of those currently on the program, we have also increased our aid to additional children.”