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0918 SEPTEMBER
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homeless
children in our school
s by joy holden and daniel eiland f or many in baton rouge, this past month has been one of reflection and remembrance. remembering things lost, the pain of our friends and families, and the stress of finding normalcy while recovering from the great flood of 2016. as a public school teacher at woodlawn high school, this time of year holds not only my own memories, but also the sorrow and loss experienced by many of my students
during that time. my students not only lost all of their possessions, but they were set adrift? having to live with friends and family or move into hotels or mobile homes while their homes were being repaired. some had to move parishes away and weren?t sure of where they would end up, in either home or school. many would not call this experience being homeless. when people often think of the homeless population in baton rouge, they imagine life- worn people holding signs at busy intersections or living in the growing tent cities underneath the interstates. although these are a very visible form of homelessness, they are only a small fraction of its face. many others, especially women and children, live in a state of transition; moving from one place to another, yet they are not part of the visible homeless population. this describes the lives of many of my students?some for a year or more. last month, thousands of children donned their school uniforms and made their way by bus, car, bike, and on foot to another year in the east baton rouge parish school system. they learned policies and procedures, picked up textbooks and supplies, and ate a meal in their school cafeteria. most left at the end of the day and headed home to get a snack and get started on their homework. however, four percent of those students are homeless, and they weren?t sure where they were returning home to. for these families, beginning the school year each year presents many obstacles. if the parents do not have required paperwork for enrollment, how can their children go to school? if the family has to relocate to a new district over the summer, where will the kids be enrolled? and, how can the family purchase uniforms and school supplies when they can?t afford it? though the struggle may seem insurmountable, there are resources available for families. ?students who lack a regular, fixed, adequate nighttime residence are classified as homeless,? says jodi lemon, coordinator of the east baton rouge parish school system (ebrpss) homeless program. ?we follow the mckinney-vento homeless assistance act.? this federal act sets out educational rights and responsibilities to children and youth experiencing homelessness. the louisiana department 4 6 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8
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