While the Tennessee Department of Education Report Card sheds some light on the academic achievements of local students, it also illuminated a problem that some may overlook.

According to information available through the Report Card, 1.1 percent of the students in the Carter County School system are considered homeless. That number is three percent for Elizabethton City Schools. To some, 1.1 percent and three percent may seem like small numbers, but when added up, 1.1 percent of the 5,048 students in the Carter County School system is roughly 50 students which according to the TDOE are considered homeless. At the city level, with 2,465 students enrolled, that three percent comes out to roughly 74 students so that adds up to around 124 students in Carter County that are considered homeless.

Now, the word “homeless” as many define it is somewhat different from the definition used by the Tennessee Department of Education which uses the word as defined by federal law which expands the typical meaning of the word.

Federal law, through the McKinney-Vento Act, designates “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate residence and includes children and youths:

—“who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;

—“who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;

—“who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

—“who are migratory children who live in one of the above circumstances.”

The above-mentioned homeless numbers are not overlooked by local school systems with both county and city school systems having programs in place to assist students who fall under the homeless definition.

In years past, the Carter County School system has had a part-time employee to run their Homeless Education Program. This year, however, the system made the position full time. Student Support Coordinator Allison Timbs has been over the system’s Homeless Education Program since August and said that the program plays a big role in helping students in tough situations.

Timbs said that students who meet the criteria of being considered homeless are afforded certain rights which the Homeless Education Program assists in helping the student obtain. One of those rights is immediate enrollment.

“Even if they don’t have all of the paperwork that they need, we have to go ahead and enroll them,” said Timbs. “We like to keep them in their school of origin. That is where they were attending before they became homeless. A lot of times they move out of the school zone and think they have to switch schools. We like to keep them in their school if we can.”

Through trying to keep a student in their original school, the Homeless Education Program will help provide transportation.

“If they are out of that school zone, we can make sure they can get to that school through the school system’s buses, or if they have a car or someone that can get them there, we can pay mileage reimbursement for their gas.”

The program can also help with clothing such as coats or shoes. Timbs said that the program’s funds can also help with dental and medical services or tutoring and GED testing. Through donations, the program provides food boxes and hygiene bags which are donated by Second Harvest and the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library, respectively.

Timbs said that many students meet the criteria of homeless when they and their family are doubling up or staying at the residence of a friend or another family member due to a house fire, eviction, or other crisis or emergencies.

“That is one of the largest categories of our homeless population,” said Timbs.

The numbers of homeless students in the school seems to be rising, said Timbs, but she feels that is because people are more aware of what legally constitutes homelessness and that more people are reporting cases.

“We are getting more referrals now because of the awareness,” said Timbs. “I think they have been there all along. People are just more aware about what qualifies.”

Much like the county, the Elizabethton City School system has a program that helps students that fall under the homeless criteria. John Hutchins with the city school system said that in 2017 the system had 101 students who qualified as homeless. The city program, which receives funding through the McKinney-Vento Grant, provides students with free meals, tutoring, transportation, and clothing.