Equity & Diversity

As Ranks of Homeless Pupils Grow, Communities Provide Aid

By Andrew L. Yarrow — October 07, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

At least 150 K-12 students in the San Angelo, Texas, Independent School District go “home” each night to the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Lodge, a shabby nearby motel, or sleep on the floor next to parents living with a friend or relative. By day, they more or less blend in, taking math and English together with other children.

They are among approximately 1 million homeless schoolchildren in America, a number that has risen with the economic hard times of the last few years but that is difficult to pinpoint. For these children, school is a lifeline, and that lifeline would not be there without partnerships involving school systems, the federal government, and community charities and volunteers.

“That is something that’s definitely been eye-opening to me. We’re not just talking about people living on the streets,” Tony Priest, a regional liaison for the Education Service Center for San Angelo, told a local newspaper this week. “I think we’re looking, with the economy, at an increase in this population. This can happen to anybody. People can lose their jobs and are not finding other jobs.”

While schools provide federally funded free breakfasts and lunches, clothing, and services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and Title I, they are aided by partners in the community such as the Salvation Army and the Concho Valley Homeless Planning Coalition in San Angelo. Health, food, and shelter services are a major part of what coalition members—which include churches and clinics—help school district social service workers provide to homeless families.

However, given the stigma attached to homelessness and the difficulty of even identifying homeless schoolchildren—since many move with parents from one temporary residence to another—the primary task is to determine who is homeless and alert them to services that they can receive. As Connie Myers, chairman of the coalition, said: “They don’t want to tell anybody. They have to face the mountain, and the mountain is admitting you have a problem and seeking help.”

Resources for, and information about, homeless schoolchildren can be found through the National Center for Homeless Education at the University of North Carolina’s SERVE Center.

A version of this news article first appeared in the K-12, Parents & the Public blog.

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Equity & Diversity When Graduation Dress Codes Clash With Students' Cultural Expression
Students have sued to wear culturally significant items at graduation, and some states have also passed legislation protecting the practice.
5 min read
A teen boy in a red graduation cap and gown wears an eagle feather on his neck. He stands outside among classmates.
Elijah Wiggins wears an eagle feather, a gift from his grandfather, at his graduation from Cedar City High School on May 25, 2022, in Cedar City, Utah. Utah is one of a growing number of states that have passed laws to allow students to wear items of cultural or religious significance during graduation ceremonies.
Rick Bowmer/AP
Equity & Diversity Schools Are Part of the Biden Administration's Plan for Combating Antisemitism
The call to action for schools is part of a first-of-its-kind federal strategy.
4 min read
A hand-drawn swastika is seen on the front of Union Station near the Capitol in Washington.
A hand-drawn swastika is seen on the front of Union Station near the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 28, 2022. Such vandalism is part of a nationwide rise in antisemitic incidents the White House wants to address.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Equity & Diversity State Chief Targets DEI Initiatives. Here's How District Leaders Are Responding
Some Oklahoma superintendents are concerned about the state's reporting requirement on DEI spending.
7 min read
Lessons on the dry-erase board in history teacher Kala Hester's classroom at Millwood High School on April 20, 2022 in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma schools will have to report all DEI-related spending, per a new rule.
Lessons on the dry-erase board in history teacher Kala Hester's classroom at Millwood High School on April 20, 2022 in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma schools will have to report all DEI-related spending, per a new rule.
Brett Deering for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Letter to the Editor To Recruit Black Teachers, We Need Black Leaders
A math teacher explains why Black leaders play a significant role in recruiting and retaining Black educators in this letter to the editor.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week