Dive Brief:
- The homeless student population in Oregon, which hovered at 18,902 students in the 2013-2014 school year, was up by 737 students from the year prior, according to the state Department of Education.
- Changes in federal reporting requirements means this data now comes with ethnic breakdowns; while white students make up 64% of the state's overall student population, white students make up only 55% of the homeless population.
- Homelessness is defined as students who lack a regular and stable nighttime residence.
Dive Insight:
While the stat doesn't mean 18,902 Oregon students are living in homeless shelters, it does mean these students are most likely bouncing around between motels and family friend's home. Stability is key in the lives of youth and a lack of stability can have dire consequences. This lack of stability often ends up in a rejection of schooling. According to the 2014 "Don't Call Them Dropouts" report from Tufts University's Center for Promise, homeless young people were 87% more likely to stop going to school.
The news of the increase in Oregon's student homeless population is in line with recently released data from the National Center for Homeless Education, which found that homelessness among public school students is at an all-time high.