There are 235 reasons Anne Greza is all about teachers taking roll.
And students raising their hands to announce they are present for the day.
Greza is the outreach coordinator for Monongalia County Schools and official county liaison for McKinney-Vento.
That’s the federal security act providing for public school students in need.
And there are students in need in Monongalia County, she said — even though it might not always seem like it.
That’s because of outward appearances, she said.
In terms of buildings and other infrastructure, most of Mon’s schools are newer, compared to the rest of the state.
Mon’s students also generally tend to have higher test scores than their counterparts across West Virginia.
And the county’s citizens are often hailed for the commitment they show to local education in the voting booth.
School levies that support all the extracurricular activities the district is known for almost always get an overwhelming “yes” vote on the ballot.
But, as Greza said, all roads don’t lead to Monongalia in terms of prosperity and a happy, well-adjusted school district.
Even with all its attributes, Mon County, she said, still has the same woes as the rest of West Virginia.
Poverty, food insecurity and the opioid crisis are casting the same long shadows here as, say, the southern coalfields, as Greza likes to stress.
As of Wednesday last week, Greza had identified 235 homeless students here.
“Homeless,” as defined by the considerations of her office, means those students who don’t have a stable roof over their heads at the moment.
While she was still breaking down the data, the majority of those students are currently “doubled up,” or staying with relatives or friends.
Then, there are the students staying in shelters and the others in substandard housing — which also hits at Greza’s heart, since she’s a social worker by training.
“There are kids in places that don’t have electricity or running water,” she said.
Mon ended the 2018-19 school year with 288 homeless students, Greza said.
“This is just my guess,” she said, “but I think we’ll be well over 300 at the end of this year.”
She blames opioids and the lack of affordable housing.
And students who move frequently because their parents or other caregivers pay rent oftentimes have trouble adjusting to their new school — so they stop going.
That’s why the district has a dedicated bus to take a student to the school he identifies as “his,” even if he currently lives in a different attendance area.
Mon County’s current McKinney-Vento grant is for $50,000, which is
also matched with Title I funding.
A number of area businesses also offer grants to the district, she said.
The monies might be used for school clothes, or a new set of all-season tires, or the application for the ACT or SAT test.
Other outlays have been for first and last month’s rent or the security deposit on a place that finally might get a student off the homeless rolls — so he can raise his hand for morning roll call in school.
“And that’s the thing,” she said.
If you’re looking for more information, she encourages you to call her work cell phone at 304-282-5401.
