Aug 16, 2013 7 min read

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of homeless students in America topped 1 million in 2012.

Of those 1,065,794 children who qualify as homeless, some lived in temporary shelters, hotels and church basements while others spent time at the houses of friends.

“That doesn’t shock me at all,” said Nicole Anderson, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 coordinator for the Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program. “Children actually represent the highest number of the homeless population.”

That includes students kicked out of their homes by their parents and children who are homeless because of job loss or natural disaster.

For homeless students, reading and math aren’t the only challenges.

“It’s incredibly stressful and difficult for kids,” said Esther Cardillo, homeless coordinator for the Washington School District. “They don’t want anyone to know they’re homeless. Their parents are under stress trying to find somewhere to live, so there’s often not as much parent involvement.”

School districts in Washington County have seen an increase in the number of homeless students in recent years, a trend that mirrors the rise in the number of homeless families in the region and across the country.

The AIU3, which records data on homeless children in Southwestern Pennsylvania counties, reported there were 235 homeless students in Washington County in 2012-13. The number of homeless students in Greene County dropped from 33 to 18 in the last school year, but the AIU3 believes that number reflects the decrease in population in the county.

Homeless children are among the most difficult to teach, local administrators say, because their unstable family situations often lead to tardiness or frequent absences, health issues and behavioral issues. They have higher dropout rates, lower graduation rates, and are held back more often than students with permanent housing.

The Washington School District has one of the highest reported number of homeless students in Washington and Greene counties, in large part because many of the services to assist the homeless are located in the city of Washington.

“It’s a real issue,” said Dr. Roberta DiLorenzo, superintendent of the Washington School District. “Our staff is very adept at dealing with the social, emotional and educational issues associated with being homeless. We’re fortunate to have skilled teachers and administrators who help them through this difficult time.”

The AIU3 holds the Region 4 grant for the Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program, which works to level the playing field for homeless children, making sure they have the same access to public education as their classmates who have their own bedrooms and laptops, houses filled with books and educational games, and refrigerators stocked with healthy food and snacks.

“About 70 percent of our kids are doubled up with people, and a lot of times families get tired of sharing their house so there’s always a bit of tension. There’s a lack of adequate space to do homework, and there’s stress on the parent, and that causes anxiety for the kids. They experience a lot of trauma, whether they express it or not,” said Anderson.

The AIU3 provides assistance to school districts (every school district in the state is required to have a homeless liaison) to assure they are compliant with McKinney-Vento legislation. The federal law aims to ensure that homeless children attend school, and it requires school districts – regardless of cost to the district – to provide homeless students transportation to and from their home school district.

The reason? The academic performance of homeless kids and teenagers is negatively affected when they move around.

“Research shows that it typically takes a child four to six months to catch up when they change schools. That’s why it’s important to keep the child experiencing homelessness in the district of origin as often as possible,” said Anderson.

DiLorenzo agrees.

“Anytime you interrupt the educational process, it has an impact on academic performance. We have some kids who enter and withdraw from school three or four times a year,” said DiLorenzo, whose district buses have transported children staying in city shelters to their home districts as far away as Charleroi and Pittsburgh. “Obviously, they have a fractured educational delivery, and it’s going to have some effect.”

Statewide, about 75 percent of students remain in the school they were attending when they became homeless.

The AIU3 also works with the homeless liaisons in schools to provide clothing and school supplies, and provides funding to help pay for homeless students to go on field trips and participate in school-related activities.

This year, the AIU3 ran a six-week summer camp for families living at Family Promise, a Washington County family shelter.

“But we are a very small program covering a very large area with very little funding. We’re stretched all over the place,” said Anderson.

School districts have filled the void, with free breakfast and lunch programs, clothing and supplies donated by school groups and community members, and programs like Blessings in a Backpack.

“We’re fortunate to have a strong network of donors within the school and the community,” said DiLorenzo. “We’ve had businesses who donate coats, shoes and other items, and our counselors have a great network they can tap into. We try to meet their needs as best we can.”

West Greene School District Supeintendent Thelma Szarell said the district makes sure homeless students within the district have access to clothing and supplies.

She also said the community pitches in, especially when a student and his or her family is left homeless by fire or a natural disaster, such as floods.

Across the county in Carmichaels, Superintendent Craig Baily acknowledged his district doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to helping out students who, regardless of the reason, become homeless.

“We do everything possible to protect their identity and provide confidentiality,” he said. “If necessary, we provide free lunches, buy them clothes, and if necessary, pay for field trips and any other fees required for participation in athletics or extracurricular programs.”

“If a teacher suspects a student might be homeless because he or she comes to school wearing the same clothes or has an issue with hygiene, the school nurse is contacted. We also permit the student to shower at the school, if necessary,” Baily said.

Ultimately, school districts aim to provide an atmosphere of stability, where homeless students can succeed.

“There’s a heightened awareness of the needs of children who are homeless,” said Scott Chambers, assistant superintendent at the Canon-McMillan School District, which reported 10 homeless students in 2012-13. “We are doing our best to identify these children and their families. That in itself is a step forward, and with the transportation arrangements, we’ve erased the barriers that would prevent them from attending their own school and impact their chances for success.”

Greene County Bureau Chief Jon Stevens contributed to this article.