Medford 549C No. 3 for highest number of homeless students

Medford, Ore. — The amount of homeless students in the state of Oregon is at an all-time high, according to the Oregon Department of Education.

For the 2016-2017 school year, nearly 23,000 enrolled students are ‘homeless’ – the federal definition for ‘homeless’ is when a student no longer has a fixed, regular, night-time shelter.

“Everything from kids sleeping on the streets to couch surfing at a friend’s house, to staying at weekly-rate motels, doubling up in somebody’s garage, living in a motor home without any water or electricity,” Karen Phillips, Maslow Project.

The top three districts in Oregon with the highest homelessness numbers include Beaverton, Portland, and Medford.

Medford 549C has the third highest homeless student count from K-12 at 1,200 students, that’s nearly 10%. Grants Pass School District 7 is also on the list, with more than 500 students considered homeless – that’s nearly 9% of the district’s student population.

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