SALEM, Ore. — Tucked in a closet at the Salem-Keizer school district office are the basics: backpacks, glue sticks, notebooks and feminine hygiene products. They are hidden, out of sight, just like the students who need them.
There are currently 1,245 students experiencing homelessness in Salem-Keizer schools. Many between the ages of 11 and 19 are without parents.
“There are families who are in your neighborhood who are affected by this,” said Shavon Leeds, one of five student advocates working with homeless students as part of the district’s federally funded McKinney-Vento Program (MVP).
“Some of their stories are really heart wrenching, and it sits with you sometimes,” Leeds said.
The McKinney-Vento Program helps children and youth who don't have a home or are living by themselves succeed in school by giving them the tools they need. This includes transportation to school, school supplies, homework help or information about other local services.
“We have students from the migrant program, refugee students — we have students who don’t necessarily have a voice for themselves,” said Julie Jefferson, the MVP district liaison.
District leaders said the problem goes beyond school walls and they point to a lack of affordable housing as a contributing factor.
“I’ve had families who live in RVs and trailers who maybe don’t have access to showers,” Leeds said. The situation is only leading to more problems, she explained, as they also grapple with mental health issues with students who are struggling to get by during the day.
In recent years the graduation rate — including homeless students — has increased by 8%, a small success to a problem that’s on the rise.
“By helping students to complete high school and find stable living situations, hopefully that means that given time, those numbers will also go down,” said Leeds.
With just under 40,000 students, Salem-Keizer Public Schools is Oregon's second largest school district, just behind Portland Public Schools. KGW reached out to Portland Public Schools to find out the number of students experiencing homelessness in the district, and we're waiting to hear back.