Medford ranks No. 2 in state for homeless students

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September 19, 2009

By Paris Achen

Mail Tribune

For the fifth consecutive year, Medford ranked second in the state in homelessness among elementary and secondary students.

The number of homeless students in the Medford School District climbed slightly to 1,126 in the 2008-09 school year, according to a report by the Oregon Department of Education.

The increase of 32 homeless pupils in Medford — an increase of about 3 percent — was not as significant as the 14 percent statewide growth in homeless students, which state officials attributed largely to the recession.

Medford trailed only the Portland School District in the count. With 9.2 percent of students considered homeless, it also was second by percentage, after Woodburn.

Statewide, about 18,051 students were counted as homeless, according to the report released Friday morning. Jackson County as a whole totaled 1,709 homeless students.

"We (Medford) have a pretty stable number and continue to have one of the highest percentages in the state," said Mary Ferrell, Medford schools homeless liaison. "Part of it is our local economy, part of it is the limited industry we provide, and part of it is the high cost of housing."

Homeless students are defined as those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and could include those who live in an emergency shelter, shared temporary housing or live in motels, vehicles, parks, public places, tents and small travel trailers.

Homeless students are identified throughout the school year by teachers and other staff and through outreach by the homeless liaison.

The recession has played a role in some cases, said Ferrell, who also is the director of the Maslow Project, a Medford outreach center for homeless youth in the Kids Unlimited building on Riverside Avenue.

In the past, Ferrell and her staff at the Maslow Project had a larger proportion of teenagers who came from generational poverty.

This was the first year the center saw a significant number of teenagers who were experiencing poverty for the first time in their lives. They included teens whose parents had lost jobs or whose houses had gone into foreclosure.

"They are new to the situation and don't have the same set of skills as somebody who has been struggling with poverty all of their lives," Ferrell said. "They often feel there is a stigma or are embarrassed to ask for help or don't know how to get help."

She said some teenagers whose families had moved out of the school district after their house went into foreclosure sometimes found ways to enter the family's old home and sleep there at night so that they could finish their high school year.

"They are finding very creative ways to stay in a foreclosed property and sleep there at night without food or electricity, but they are protected from the elements," Ferrell said.

The Maslow Project has had an increase in demand for basic needs such as food, toilet paper and other hygiene items, she said.

In other Jackson County school districts, there were 215 homeless students in Eagle Point schools, 138 in Central Point schools, 83 in Rogue River schools, 62 in Ashland schools, 47 in Phoenix-Talent schools, 21 in Butte Falls schools and 17 in Prospect schools.

The number of homeless students in Oregon has edged up since the education department began counting in 2003-04, in part because of improved methods for identifying homeless student and partly because of the recession that began in 2007.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was reauthorized in January 2002 to remove some of the obstacles that prevent homeless students from attending school. The law requires school districts to provide immediate enrollment, transportation, school meals and a homeless liaison to help connect homeless students and their families with social services. Federal McKinney-Vento grants are available to help school districts comply with the law.

This year, the amount of available McKinney-Vento funds was bolstered by about $70 million as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Oregon has received more than $1 million of that, said Jake Weigler, education department spokesman.

The federal government also offers college scholarships to homeless youth, said Dona Bolt, the state's homeless education specialist.

Homeless liaisons such as Ferrell can help students apply for those scholarships and connect them with other vocational and educational options.

"It's important for them to remember what they can accomplish," Ferrell said. "They can still graduate and go to college despite the disruption in their lives."

Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4459 or e-mail pachen@mailtribune.com.

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