District, city discuss teen homelessness supports; McKinney-Vento cases cited

Superintendent Kim Dowd told the joint meeting the district identified about 120 students in the McKinney-Vento census who are experiencing housing instability. "I think we have about right now, I think we have about 120 kids in the district, according to the McKinney Vento Census," she said.

Dowd and board members described how the district supports students through a community liaison (Yolanda Zavala), a social worker and school-based resources at Sequoia and other sites. The district uses a range of local funding and limited federal Title I flexibility; Dowd said federal and pandemic-era grant funds that had supported some services are no longer available and local Title I help "is really not nearly enough."

Councilors said the city is focused on homelessness and is concerned about teen homelessness in particular. The council and board discussed Shelter in Silverton and the nonprofit's current certification limits for youth services; city officials said Shelter in Silverton is ramping up and pursuing capital support to expand teen capacity.

Board members and city councilors described gaps in service and asked staff to identify more precise counts for students living in cars or sleeping in vehicles. The board discussed McKinney-Vento transportation protections, noting that for students identified under that federal statute the district coordinates transport back to the home district so students can remain in school.

Both bodies requested continued partnership. Dowd and others said district staff are meeting families, offering bilingual supports and using a combination of grants and community donations where possible. The district asked the city and community partners to continue coordination while staff explore grants and replenishment of local resources.