Homeless numbers growing at schools near you

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The number of homeless students in Oregon grew by more than 2,000 last school year, just when it looked as though the number might begin to level off.

At least 18,051 Oregon students in kindergarten through 12th grade were homeless at some point last school year, according to a report released by the Department of Education Friday. That's a roughly 14 percent increase over the previous year's 15,859. The year before that the number was 15,517.

The Portland School District, as with the previous year, had the most homeless students with 1,706.

Still, homeless students accounted for a higher percentage of the student body in other districts. For example, just over on in every 10 students in the Woodburn School District is homeless, whereas the number is closer to one in every 30 in Portland.

More than 1,600 of the childhood homeless attend school in Lane County.

"Unfortunately, families living in poverty struggling to get by is not a new concept in Oregon; it's a reality we've been dealing with for years," said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo in a statement. "District staff work diligently to ensure these students can participate in public school along with their peers, and receive the additional help they need to attend school without stigmatization."

Not all the students — not even a majority — are living on the streets. The federal government defines homeless students as those who "lack fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence."

More than 13,000 students are living with relatives or families. About 750 called a motel primary residence last year, another 1,700 were living in shelters or transitional housing. Finally, 2,264 were classified as "unsheltered" meaning they were living in cars, sheds, tents, or on the streets.

Elementary schools have the highest number of homeless students, though more twelfth graders are homeless than other grade level.

Oregon started counting the number of homeless students with the 2003-2004 school year. Since then the number has grown by 122 percent. The economic downturn, said education department spokesman Jake Weigler, is exacerbating the problem.

"The foreclosure rates we're seeing here in Oregon," he said, "are literally putting families out of their homes."

(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press)