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School social workers report 124 displaced students, cite housing instability and emergency fund
Summary
School social workers told Hempfield SD leaders they are serving 66 families (124 students) experiencing displacement, described mental-health and enrollment supports, and said a Help by Neighbor emergency fund is used for food, clothing and other immediate needs.
School social workers told district attendees that they are currently serving 66 families and 124 individual students who are displaced, and outlined the district supports they provide to keep students connected to school.
A school social worker summarized the scope of the caseload: the team is "currently... serving 66 families, 124 individual students who are displaced at the moment," and said the number typically rises around the holidays because of economic hardship and weather-related costs. The social workers described a mix of direct services, including helping families access therapists and insurance, referring households to food and clothing resources, assisting with new-student enrollment, and addressing attendance problems.
"We also provide families with support for enrolling their student if they're new to our district and in need of that," a school social worker said, adding that social workers attend student-assist and IEP conferences to coordinate additional supports. The staff also flagged transportation as a recurring barrier for displaced students.
Staff described a local emergency resource called Help by Neighbor as one tool for immediate needs: "We have a fund... for students who have needs in the community," a school social worker said, noting staff use it to provide gift cards, clothing, CTC program gear and other short-term assistance during high-need periods.
The social workers emphasized housing instability as a central challenge, saying displaced students often struggle to find housing within the district and that maintaining consistent school attendance can be difficult when families are transient. No formal district action or vote was reported during this presentation; the session focused on staff services and needs identification.
District officials or board responses were not recorded in the transcript. The presentation closed with staff reiterating the need for community partnerships and resources to address the underlying housing and economic pressures affecting students.
