Schools

Number of Shoreline Students Reported Homeless Rises in 2011-12

The number of students without adequate overnight shelter jumped significantly in the Shoreline School District last year, according to figures available from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

There were at least 176 students in the Shoreline School District who were considered homeless last school year, up from 123 the year before, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The majority of those were "doubled up"--staying with friends or relatives.

Homeless students are counted as part of the federal McKinney-Vento act, which defines a student as homeless if he or she lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

The act requires districts to provide homeless students with the same access to education as everyone else, including transportation to and from the same district that the student was attending before he or she became homeless, according to OSPI.

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Statewide, the number of homeless students topped 27,000, reflecting an increase of 5.1 percent from 2010-11 and up 46.7 percent from 2007-08, according to OSPI.

Seattle-area school officials said in 2011 some of that increase could have been better identification and reporting, but it also was attributable to a worsening economy during that time period, with parents losing jobs or getting fewer work hours after the economy tanked in 2008.

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According to OSPI's data provided, 38 of the homeless students in Shoreline were living in shelters, 123 were living with relatives or friends, 12 lived in a hotel, and three were living in an "unsheltered" situation, which could include cars or campgrounds.

 

Past coverage:

 Homeless Student Population Growing in Shoreline-LFP

A Sweet Way to Support Homeless Kids

In Case You Missed It: School Districts Cope with the Financial and Social Toll of Homeless Students

Students are considered homeless if they live in emergency or transitional shelters; motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds; shared housing due to loss of housing or economic hardship; hospitals secondary to abandonment or awaiting foster care placement; cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing or similar situations; and public or private places not ordinarily used as sleeping accommodations for human beings, according to OSPI.

The lack of a stable home puts tremendous pressure on homeless students. Mobility rates are higher than students in homes, absentee rates are higher, health problems are more prevalent and graduation rates are lower, OSPI wrote.

More information

Homeless Students in Washington State by School District
(as reported by each school district)


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