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Oregon's Homeless Student Population Rises For Third Year In A Row

More than 21,000 Oregon public school students are homeless.
Oregon Department of Education
More than 21,000 Oregon public school students are homeless.

The number of public school students in Oregon considered homeless has increased for the third year in a row. That's according to an annual report released by the state Department of Education.

More than 21,000 students -- nearly 4 percent of the student population in Oregon public schools -- are homeless. The vast majority of students who qualify as homeless do have some sort of shelter at night, most often shared or temporary housing arrangements that aren't considered stable.

But Marti Heard, homeless program liaison for Portland Public Schools, said just because they're not sleeping outside doesn't mean there's not an impact.

"If you're staying someplace where the utility is off, you may not be warm enough, you may not have light for studying,” she said. “So these students are really at risk for falling behind academically.”

The percentage of homeless students reached double digits in 18 Oregon school districts. While those tended to be in rural areas where a small fluctuation can dramatically shift the percentage, a handful of larger districts had double-digit percentages of homeless students, including Lincoln County SD, Central Point SD in Jackson County, and Sweet Home SD in Linn County.

The Oregon Department of Education report blames a lack of affordable housing statewide for the increasing numbers.

"We know that students dealing with difficult life circumstances have a much harder time in the classroom," Deputy Superintendent Salam Noor said in a statement. "Our goal is to make the school environment as stable as possible for homeless students."

The numbers included in the new report reflect the student homeless population in the 2015-16 academic year.

Copyright 2016 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.
Chris Lehman
Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.