The number of homeless students in Austin ISD is rising sharply, according to the latest numbers released by non-profit group HousingWorks Austin.
Using district statistics, the non-profit calculated that the number of students without a permanent address in AISD was 2,642 for the 2014-15 school year. That’s up 152 from 2013 – 14’s figure of 2,490, and a massive leap of 612 from 2012 – 13’s total of 2,030.
What makes this even more worrying is that this 30% increase over the last two years comes as AISD’s enrollment has remained functionally static, and state support for homeless student programs has basically flat-lined or collapsed.
Drilling down, the numbers for where these students are sleeping makes for depressing reading:
• 2,078 living doubled up with other families
• 275 living in motels/hotels
• 271 living unaccompanied, often with friends
• 249 living in shelters
• 46 living unsheltered, in vehicles or in squats
Moreover, this study does not touch on the number of families who move regularly, chasing cheaper rents. That’s incredibly disruptive to the education of students, who may find themselves in a new classroom multiple times in the same school year.