Is the National Surge in Homeless Students Bailout-Worthy?

In schools across the country, the heat is on. And we're not just talking about the chilling weather. In addition to the pressure to produce higher test scores and graduation rates, schools are also grappling with economic issues, like the gargantuan task of serving skyrocketing numbers of homeless students with tighter budgets.

The rising numbers of homeless youth speak for themselves. The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth says there were 679,000 homeless students reported in the 2006-7 school year. As of last Spring, the New York Times reported that this total had surpassed 1 million. In areas of the country hit hard by job losses and foreclosure, these numbers are much worse. In Central Florida, for example, the number of homeless youth enrolled in schools is up 20 percent over last year. Last Spring, Fairfax, Virginia saw a 63 percent increase over the previous year.

Sure, these numbers look bad on paper. But for the schools that must keep these students in pace with their classmates, this often means resources. Resources in the form of transportation costs, counseling, food and supplies, and classroom time. One community in Central Florida will spend $17,000 just to provide transportation to 10 homeless students this academic year.

But when it comes to meeting the basic needs of the youngest among us, we cannot afford inaction. The federal requirements in place to ensure that children without a home do not fall behind in school are - simply put - good policy. What McKinney-Vento requires of schools is critical for ensuring that homeless students do not miss educational opportunities simply because they are homeless.

But these things are useless if they drain the budgets of schools that are already stretched due to the economy.

How dire must a situation be to be dubbed bailout-worthy?

Image from the Orlando Sentinel.