(Published Saturday, February 24, 2007 10:09:14 PM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Anna Marie Lux Gazette staff
Samantha never invites classmates home after school.
Nor does she let them see where she goes.
She guards her secret well.
The teenager stays with her family at Janesville's House of Mercy Homeless Center on Lincoln Street.
Close friends know she has no other place to go. But most of the kids at school have no idea she lives in a homeless shelter.
"I dress myself nice and look decent, so they don't know," Samantha says, embarrassed that someone might find out.
She feels alone, but she is not.
So far this year, the Janesville School District has identified 190 homeless students in pre-school through 12th grade.
"Those are just the ones we know about," a school social worker says, the worry in her voice clear.
"We're not through the year, yet."
Last year, the local schools counted 274 children without fixed, regular or adequate housing, including doubled-up families living with relatives or friends.
District social workers estimate they will identify at least as many before this year is over.
They cite a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and blame low-paying jobs for putting families in fragile situations. Unexpected bills for car repairs or a child that needs medical care can plunge a minimum-wage earner into crisis.
"A lot of our families are living paycheck-to-paycheck," says Jessica Grandt-Turke, social worker at Wilson Elementary.
"They are literally trying to stay ahead of everything, but the money often runs out before the next paycheck. Then, one too many months in a row go by without paying rent, and they become homeless."
Homelessness is tied to poverty, which is on the rise in Janesville.
The percentage of school-age children living in low-income homes has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
In 1995-96, the Janesville School District identified more than 12 percent of its students living in poor homes. By 2005-2006, the number had increased to more than 28 percent.
Low income is defined as children who get free or reduced lunches. The annual income in a family of two cannot exceed $24,420 for a student to qualify; in a family of three, $30,710; in a family of four; $37,000; in a family of five, $43,290.
In some cases, the money just runs out.
Samantha's father got laid off.
"There comes a point where you either pay the rent or eat," he says. "We chose to eat."
Samantha recalls meals of noodles, macaroni and cheese and butter sandwiches.
"All I wanted was a big juicy hamburger," she says.
Her dad feels guilty for not providing more.
"I'm not a good enough father," he laments.
Samantha does not agree.
"I am damn proud of my father," she declares, her voice rising. "I see him work hard. He is doing the best he can."
But for many, their best is not good enough.
SQUARES
Jessica Grandt-Turke is in her fifth year as a social worker at Wilson Elementary. It has the highest number of homeless students among the 18 schools in the district.
So far, 43 children have been identified.
"The number has climbed higher every year that I have been here," Grandt-Turke says.
She enrolls new families and asks where they live.
If they become angry or embarrassed, if they say they are staying with friends or at a motel, if they say they are "going through a bad time right now," she knows something may be wrong.
"There's an embarrassment and shame that goes with the whole umbrella of homelessness," Grandt-Turke says. "The last thing we want to do is make someone feel bad about their situation. It's about identifying them so we can reach out and help."
Wilson is not the only school with children who do not know where they will sleep or if they will eat dinner when the day is over.
Homeless children number in the double digits at Jackson Elementary, 27; Lincoln Elementary, 18; Edison Middle School, 17; Parker and Craig high schools, each 14; and Roosevelt Elementary, 11.
All other schools have homeless students numbering in the single digits, with Adams Elementary ranking the lowest with one.
"I don't think a lot of people realize the extent to which homelessness exists in Janesville," Grandt-Turke says.
"When I was a child, questions about where I was going to sleep or eat never entered my mind. But those are concerns a lot of these kids are walking through the door with every day."
SQUARES
Being homeless affects every child differently.
Some are resilient.
Some bring their personal trauma to the classroom:
-- An anxious first-grader does not pay attention in class. She confides in the school social worker that she is worried about where her mother goes during the day. The 7-year-old expresses concern about where she and her mother will sleep at night-and if they will have anything to eat.
-- An elementary student slips into the personality of a super hero at school to escape the domestic violence he sees at home. His mother flees with him to the homes of friends. The child is upset and confused like many children who become homeless when they are forced to flee violence in their homes.
-- A middle school student and his mother bounce from home to home, sleeping on the couches of friends and relatives. The mother hasn't worked for more than a year. The student grows increasingly angry about his situation and acts out in class.
"He wants a stable home," his mother explains.
"He doesn't want to live by everyone else's rules where you have to be careful how you sneeze. My child is suffering emotionally, and it hurts me terribly to see it."
Federal law ensured the rights of her son and all homeless students when Congress reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in January 2002.
In fall 2002, the school district adopted the definition of homelessness spelled out in McKinney-Vento, which is part of No Child Left Behind legislation.
The district counted almost 275 homeless students, with most in elementary schools, in the 2002-03 school year. The number has dipped and inched back up since then.
In an effort to meet the needs of homeless children, school social workers offer critical lifelines. They make sure students get free hot lunches, school supplies and important encouragement. They also connect families to vital community services.
A student's homeless status is confidential; only school principals and social workers know. But parents may agree to inform teachers, as well. Being aware that a child is homeless helps a teacher understand why a student is tired, worried, hungry and unable to respond to a common request such as: "Draw a photo of your home."
Jackson Elementary teacher Andrea Dunmore has had at least three homeless children in her second-grade class in recent years. Two often fell asleep at their desks.
"It was not a behavioral issue," Dunmore explains. "They were tired and needed sleep."
One student missed school for long periods and left the district for awhile before returning later in the school year.
Another never went on field trips.
Dunmore thinks it was because his parents could not pay for them, even though the district was willing to waive costs.
"We sent notes home but never got a response," she recalls. "Homeless parents do not have telephones."
They also do not have places for their children to do homework.
"It's not a priority," Dunmore explains.
"Finding food and shelter is."
Reading, writing and homlessness Today: The Janesville School District identifies homeless students.
Monday: Education is key to escaping poverty.
Rights under federal law
Homeless students have rights to:
-- Immediate school enrollment-Even without proof of residency, guardianship, immunizations or school records.
-- School choice-Students may stay at the school attended when they had a home or enroll in the school where they are currently staying for the rest of the academic year.
--Free lunches.
-- School fee waivers.
-- Transportation-While students are actively homeless, transportation is provided for students living outside their school's attendance area.
These rights are spelled out in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act.
