“Nationally, 1.6 million U.S. children lived in homeless shelters, motels, with relatives or other families or living on the street in 2010 — a 38 percent increase since 2007, according to the center [The National Center on Family Homelessness].
The large number of homeless students presents a particular challenge to school districts.
In addition to emotional and health problems, homeless students are more likely to go hungry and are four times more likely to show delayed development, the center says. They have twice the rate of learning disabilities as non-homeless children and the vast majority of them lack proficiency in math and reading. At CPS [Chicago Public Schools], 98 percent of homeless students are members of minority groups.”
–Adeshina Emmanuel. “Number of Homeless Students Surge, Putting Strain on Schools.” Chicago Sun-Times. Jan. 6, 2012. Web.