Homeless Students

While homelessness is a big issue among adults, we tend to forget about the homeless children who are also students. As of 2017, 5.6%, or 1,509 of students kindergarten through 12th grade were reportedly homeless which is a 20% increase since 2014. In comparison, however, 56 students in Butte Falls, Jackson County, were homeless, which is over 30% of their student population.  

Each school district has at least one homeless student liason that ensure the students are getting a quality education despite lacking basic things like materials, transportation, or internet access. For the 2016-2017 school year, Oregon recieved a little over $500,000 to support its homeless students. This funding went towards clothing, transport, shoes, and school supplies.

Despite Oregon public schools ranking poorly in quality of education against other states, homeless students are most likely to do well in Oregon schools. This is partially due to school stability. When a child is listed as homeless in the school system, the administration works harder to keep them at that school even if the family is moving around a lot. There’s always more we can do to support our homeless students, but making sure they receive the best education is a good first step.

https://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/11/homeless_students_jump_over_5.html

https://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2017/06/oregon_ranked_best_in_country.html

Shayla Norris-York

August 19, 2018