By Walker Orenstein
The Associated Press
TACOMA — To address the rising numbers of homeless public school students in the state, Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a measure that aims to help reduce obstacles to their success in and out of class.
House Bill 1682, signed at McCarver Elementary School on Friday, will create grant programs to add liaisons for the homeless in schools, as well as provide homeless students with rental assistance, transportation help, case management, emergency shelter and more.
In 2015, Washington had about 35,500 homeless students compared with about 32,500 the year before and 18,670 in the original 2008 count, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The office cautions some of the increase might be because of more accurate data in recent years.
“Those kids deserve our support, and that’s why I was so glad to be a part of this,” said Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, who sponsored the measure.
Public school districts have liaisons for homeless students as required by the federal McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act.
But only 24 of 295 districts in the state received money from the act to help pay the liaisons during the three-year period starting in 2013.
The bill was given $2 million in the supplemental budget passed by the Legislature on Tuesday, which will supplement $950,000 of McKinney-Vento grant money awarded in the state each year.
Overall, the supplemental budget adds $15 million to aid homelessness, much of it directed to helping homeless youth.
“Listen, homework is tough; it’s even harder when you don’t have a home,” Inslee said at the bill signing.
