Homeless Student Stability Act (SB 5065) Casey Trupin Coordinating Attorney Children & Youth Project

A Problem in Towns Big and Small 428 Bellingham 508 Wenatchee 80 Colville 107 Port Angeles 1,220 Spokane 30,609 1,872 Seattle 221 Clarkston 440 Olympia 332 Kennewick 557 Vancouver 486 Yakima

30,609 45.1% Homeless Students Struggle to Learn The Learning Gap: Proficiency by Subject students in Washington State are homeless, up 82% since 2006-07. These kids are highly mobile, moving often to wherever they can find shelter and frequently changing schools. Instability at home hurts homeless students’ ability to learn, as each time a student moves to a new school, he or she loses between 4-6 months of academic progress. of homeless students graduated in the class of 2013, compared to 78% among their housed peers. In other words, 2,283 homeless seniors did not get to walk across the graduation stage. Schools spend $17 million each year transporting highly mobile kids to school; each student that drops out represents a net lifetime cost of $200,000 to taxpayers. Only 38% of homeless students are proficient in math, versus 64% among their housed peers. This learning gap extends across all subjects.

The Importance of Stability

SCHOOLS LACK CAPACITY Other Job Duties (38 hours) Liaisons Can Only Devote 2 Hours Per Week Other Job Duties (38 hours) Liaison Duties (2 hours)

Lack of State & Federal Money

Everett Tukwila Statewide Students receiving out of district transportation: 2012-13: 492 Total costs of transportation:  2012-13: $809,897 Average Cost per Homeless Student ~$1646 per student Tukwila Students receiving out of district transportation: 2012-13: 132 students Total costs of transportation:  2012-13: $205,275 Average Cost per Homeless Student ~$1555 per student Statewide Students receiving transportation: 2012-13: estimate of 2200-3600/30,609 students

A district has identified three students as homeless A district has identified three students as homeless. Each student will have to move at least 30 miles outside of the district to live in the nearest shelter. Over the course of the school year, it will cost the district $45,000 ($15,000 each) to transport these students to and from the school of origin to their local residence. Without housing the district will pay to transport these students. + + + = 1 2 3 $45,000

But if a school-housing partnership could offer families in-need housing supports 1 = $2,000 Cost of housing support +$13,000 Savings to District = $6,000 Cost of housing support 2 +$9,000 Savings to District = 3 $500 Cost of housing support +$14,500 Savings to District

Homeless Student Stability Act (SB 5065) Bi-Partisan Support The HSSA provides dedicated staff support for homeless student education liaisons The HSSA creates a grant program serving up to 15 districts by providing each with $500,000 per year to directly increase housing stability for homeless students and families. schoolhousewa.org During the 2012-13 school year, 30,609 students in Washington schools were identified by school districts as homeless—a 12% increase from the previous school year and an 82% increase from 2006-07.