Homelessness on the decline for Preston County Schools

KINGWOOD — Last year, nearly 90 students in Preston County Schools met the definition of homelessness.
Being homeless doesn’t always mean living under a bridge or in a cardboard box, said Carol Riley, attendance coordinator for Preston County Schools.
The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines homelessness.
“The most common circumstance for our homeless is that because of economic hardship, one family has had to move in with another family, and that is what most of our students qualify is under that,” Riley said. “Also the other circumstance that normally qualifies our kids as homeless is substandard housing, and that means housing without water, electricity, heat, sewage, your basic needs.”
Last year, 87 Preston County students across the county qualified as homeless. That’s below the 108 the year before and less than the estimated 260 the year before that. But Riley cautions against relying too heavily on the numbers.
“Sometimes it’s hard for people to let you know that they’re in these situations, because they fear their kids will be taken away if they’re not providing for them,” she said.
This year she plans to ramp up efforts to educate school staff about what qualifies as homeless and the services available. Riley also thinks numbers are down because of a $75,000 BB&T grant the county received last year. A $30,000 grant was received the previous year.
The money enabled the county to help 21 families obtain stable, permanent housing or remain in their housing. Otherwise, those families would have made the list of homelessness.
For example, if someone was going to be evicted for not paying their electric bill, grant money was used to pay it. Or if someone needed a month’s rent. The grant also helped a family get water lines into a home.
“Because sometimes people just need a little hand up. They just need to get over that little hump. They’re not totally broken, but if they could just get a little bit ahead … they can go on,” Riley said.
The objective is to help students be successful, “academically and socially.”
The U.S. Census estimated that 17.4 percent of Preston County’s estimated population of 33,679 residents were living at or below the poverty level in July 2017.
Funds were also used to help a student participate in FFA, to pay for tests that certify community and technical education students in fields such as nursing, to pay a student’s application fee to beauty school.
“That’s what it’s all about is to try to help those Riley isn’t sure if BB&T will continue to offer the grants.
A three-year McKinney-Vento grant has enabled Preston schools to offer after school tutoring and freshman camp. Both are open to all students. Those grants will only be given for one year in the future, and Riley submitted an application to renew Preston’s.