Worcester Releases 2019 Data On Homeless Students

WORCESTER, MA — There are about 2,400 homeless students attending Worcester Public Schools, according to the district — and although high, that's less than estimates released by a private group earlier this year showing that Worcester had the 5th highest number of homeless students in the nation.

Worcester school officials provided figures on homeless students to the School Committee this week. Of the 2,412 homeless students in Worcester schools, a majority — 1,890 — are living "doubled-up," which means that they are living in a home with another family.

Another 32 students were living in motels, 479 were in homeless shelters, and 11 were living unsheltered as of Sept. 23, according to the district. About 25,000 students attend Worcester schools, which means close to 10 percent are homeless.

In May, the Tampa, Fla.-based River Oaks Treatment Center estimated that there were about 3,400 homeless students in the district — the highest amount of any district in New England.

The 2018 homeless point-in-time count conducted by the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance found 669 people under 18 living homeless in Worcester County. That figure is just a snapshot of one night, however, and likely would not count students living doubled-up.

In a memo to the School Committee, district officials said that federal McKinney-Vento Act funds are being used to provide housing support and supplies for homeless students. But officials also said there are "ongoing needs" for food, coats, shoes, and other supplies for many students.

The Worcester School Committee was set to discuss the data on homeless students at the Oct. 3 meeting.