Bills to reduce and prevent student homelessness are a ‘critical safety net,' advocates say
During the 2017-18 school year, there were 1,867 Maine students considered homeless. That number increased to 4,028 in 2023-24, according to Maine Department of Education data. (Photo)
This winter, the Oxford Hills School District paid for emergency heating oil for a family with four young children, according to Superintendent Heather Manchester. The district also worked with Central Maine Power to restore electricity to a family of six, including three elementary school students, who were living in the dark for over a month. Oxford Hills was also able to provide transportation to an unaccompanied youth living outside the district, making it possible for them to attend school and access driver's education classes.
All these initiatives were made possible by a pilot program to prevent youth homelessness, which a bill introduced by Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York) wants to make permanent.
The bill 'will provide a vital safety net for families on the verge of hardship and will allow some of our most vulnerable students an opportunity to thrive,' Manchester said in a public hearing for LD 384 held by the Joint Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on Wednesday. If passed, it would allocate up to $750 per academic year to the family or guardian of a student at risk of homelessness for housing-related needs including rental assistance, utilities, critical home repairs and transportation.
The number of homeless students in Maine has continued to increase over the last decade, according to Maine Department of Education data, referenced in public testimony by the Maine Education Association. During the 2017-18 school year, there were 1,867 students statewide considered homeless. That number increased to 4,028 such students in 2023-24.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, all students experiencing homelessness are entitled to a free, appropriate public education. This year, the Legislature is weighing several bills that would bolster the amount of financial support districts get to help these students and meet their heightened needs, including transportation, social services, and direct payments to help unhoused students and families with rental assistance and utility bills.
Maine school administrators push for more funding for poor, unhoused students
Rep. Michael Brennan (D-Portland) introduced a separate rental assistance bill, LD 747, to the Joint Committee on Housing and Economic Development on Tuesday. If passed, it would direct the Maine Housing Authority to develop a program to provide assistance to homeless students in coordination with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.
'Maintenance of stable housing and continuity in school placement is critical for a student's safety and social and emotional well being,' said Mallory Cook, director of training and early educator engagement for the Maine Education Association, who testified in support of both Brennan and Rafferty's bills.
According to a Maine Housing Coalition report from 2020, a vast majority of Maine tenants only owed between $1,000 and $1,500 to their landlords, making the $750 per student annual allocation in LD 384l critical in preventing student homelessness, Cook said.
However, despite the obvious need, several organizations cited the current budget deficit, projected to be $450 million in the next biennium, as a key stumbling block.
LD 747 would cost the state an estimated $2 million each year for the next two years for rental assistance while LD 384 would amount to roughly $1.5 million to cover the $750 allocations to at-risk households.
'If our state budget was in a better situation, we would likely voice our full support for LD 747, but that is not the case,' said Steven Bailey, executive director of Maine School Boards Association, which testified against Brennan's rental assistance bill.
'In this environment, our school board members believe that legislators should prioritize existing educational priorities — 55% state funding, support for students with disabilities, universal school meals — and should not consider additional costs that could jeopardize our core priorities.'
Earlier this month, the education committee also held a public hearing for a bill that would change the state formula to allocate more funding to districts depending on how many unhoused students are enrolled. It's unclear how much that bill would cost, but there is currently no additional funding allocated for unhoused students.
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