In Williamsburg, homelessness shows its face in subtle ways: makeshift tents near the railroad tracks, piles of clothing in the woods off Richmond Road and motel rooms serving as temporary housing.
For several hundred Williamsburg-area students, homelessness is also a very real part of life. It means not having a permanent home to return to at the end of the school day, sleeping on a relative’s couch, at a shelter or in a car.
“Being homeless doesn’t necessarily mean you’re living in a car,” said Eileen Cox, a WJCC Schools spokeswoman.
For the past five years, more than 400 Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools students have been identified as homeless each school year year.
The number fluctuates, but has remained at more than 400 students for the past five years — about 3.5 percent of the school division’s total student population.
As of Feb. 14, WJCC Schools had identified 400 students that are homeless or were homeless at one point during the current school year, although that number could rise before the 2018-2019 school year is over, Cox said.
Of WJCC’s 16 schools, 13 currently have at least 10 enrolled students who have been homeless this school year. Those schools include:
- Clara Byrd Baker Elementary
- J. Blaine Blayton Elementary
- James River Elementary
- Laurel Lane Elementary
- Matthew Whaley Elementary
- Norge Elementary
- Berkeley Middle
- James Blair Middle
- Lois Hornsby Middle
- Toano Middle
- Jamestown High
- Lafayette High
- Warhill High
Identifying the homeless
Each school’s social worker is trained to determine a family’s housing status under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
“When a student has been identified as homeless, they are tagged in WJCC Schools’ student information system,” said Christie Scott, another spokeswoman with WJCC Schools.
School divisions are required to submit data on homeless students annually to the Virginia Department of Education.
The graduation rate for homeless students in Virginia is 71.47 percent, significantly lower than the statewide average graduation rate of 91.59 percent.
Enrollment
The school adheres to the McKinney-Vento Act, which ensures homeless students still have access to “full and equal” educational access.
Even if a student becomes homeless and no longer has a permanent address in the school’s area, the student is allowed to remain enrolled, as long as it’s in their best interest.
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“The school selected in accordance with this policy shall immediately enroll the homeless student, even if the student is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment, such as previous academic records, birth records, medical records, proof of residency, or other documentation,” the policy reads.
On Tuesday, the Williamsburg-James City County School Board voted 5-1 to approve a revision to the the division’s policy regarding homeless students, although the change does not operationally change the way the division handles those students, Cox said.
Instead, the amendment targets the policy’s language, which replaces language about the now-moot No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
Services
If a student is identified as homeless, there are some measures in place to ensure they get the resources they need.
The McKinney-Vento Act requires schools to provide homeless students with free or reduced lunch, programs to assist with disabilities or limited English proficiency and more.
Each WJCC school has a social worker assigned to its staff to handle student-related issues, including homelessness, emotional or behavioral difficulties, signs of abuse, attendance issues and more.
While some schools in Virginia have homeless liaisons to assist students, WJCC Schools does not have any programs or staff positions specifically designated to only handle homelessness-related issues, Cox said.
The William & Mary School of Education coordinates the state’s Virginia Homeless Education Program, called Project HOPE.
The project coordinates resources for homeless students and funds activities and programs throughout the school year such as mentoring, tutoring, domestic violence prevention programs and more.
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Challenges
Without a permanent address within a school division’s coverage area, enrolling homeless student presents its own sets of challenges.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, the school must also arrange transportation for that homeless student, even if they live outside of the division’s district.
A majority of homeless students still ride the school bus to get to and from school, but one student is transported to school in a school division passenger van, Cox said.
When a student is living outside of the school’s regular residency area, school divisions will work together, Cox said.
The school of origin — where they were last enrolled — works with the school division where the student physically resides to find which school division would be best for the student to attend.
“That’s the biggest thing — that’s one of the things that sets homeless services apart from the rest,” Cox said.
