I recently interviewed Kim Stovall and Sarah Poskey from Mt. Pleasant ISD (MPISD) about the educational roadblocks that rural homeless students in their district must overcome. Kim is the Educational Support Programs Director at MPISD, and Sarah is the district's Kid-Net Homeless Liaison.

Mt. Pleasant I.S.D. is a mid-sized school district located in northeast Texas, two hours east of Dallas, with demographic characteristics that can be described as remarkable. The district serves 5,100 students and is described by the Texas Office of Demographics as "one of the fastest growing Hispanic communities in the state." The current ethnic breakdown of the district is 51% Hispanic; 32% White; 16% African American; and 1% other. Just 15 years ago, Hispanics represented only 3% of the student body. Forty percent of the current student population is classified as ESL.

Titus County 2000 census data highlights the following community issues:
· Income and Poverty: In Titus County, 28.5% of children between the ages of 5 and17 live in poverty compared with 19.8% in the state of Texas. Children who lack basic nutritional and safety are highly challenged academically.

· Educational Attainment: Titus County has lower educational attainment than the Texas average. Forty-one percent of the Hispanic population lacks a high school education. These families need easy access to adult basic literacy, GED, and college programs to create a family value system that embraces education as a key to personal, professional, and financial opportunities.

Question: How do the homeless students in your district benefit from your skills/experience/professional aspirations?

Kim: Before going into education, I worked as a clinical social worker in a hospital and home health setting. I feel well versed in many areas and have had the ability to bring forth many skills and experiences to benefit not only homeless students, but all students. I have had opportunities to facilitate workshops with at-risk students and parents because of my training. I am a forward thinker and always looking for ways to improve the lives of those around us.

Sarah: Because I am a professional, I am bound by a code of ethics. I not only provide direct service, but I am able to link students to a wide array of services not provided by Kid-Net.

Question: What is the strongest skill that you bring to your position, and how has it made your job easier for both you and the homeless students you work with?

Kim: I am definitely a "people person." I relate well to those in at-risk situations because of personal experiences. I became a social worker to get a better understanding of the psychological aspirations of people in general.

Sarah: My ability to collaborate with other community organizations is my strongest skill. I am a member of several organizations where I get to know service providers on a first-name basis. This cuts out a lot of red tape when one of my students has an emergency.

Question: How many homeless students are enrolled in MPISD schools? Can that figure be broken down according to rural/urban residence?

Sarah: [We have] approximately 300 [homeless students], with the majority being rural.

Question: How does MPISD identify these students?

Sarah: Through a residency questionnaire that is administered to every student upon enrollment.

Question: What steps are taken to expedite their enrollment, given that medical records, transcripts, birth certificates, etc. are often unavailable?

Sarah: MPISD adheres to the policy that all homeless students must be enrolled the same day that they attempt to do so. We then have 30 days to get the needed documentation. We can almost always get their previous school records faxed to us the same day so we can place them in the appropriate classes.

Question: In your work with the rural students in homeless situations, what do you perceive to be the three most common educational obstacles they face? How do you help them overcome these?

Sarah: Proper tools they need to be successful and a place to complete their work is very important. I collaborate with Communities in Schools and the migrant [program] to provide homeless students with school supplies. Kid-Net has set up a homework room at the shelter with supplies and a computer. We have an after-school program where they can complete their homework. Proper nutrition is another common obstacle. I make sure that all of our homeless students are able to eat free of charge on the first day they enroll. Snacks are offered at the after-school program as well. I started an organization called Hope for Housing to benefit homeless students. We have started a food bank to help with students' nutritional needs when they are not at school

Kim: One must understand that a child cannot learn until their "survival" needs are met, and sometimes this is a very difficult obstacle to overcome when a student is in transit. I have seen teachers upset because a child did not turn in their homework, without caring as to the reasons why. I feel all educators should have specialized trainings on how to work with students facing family violence issues, poverty, sleep deprivation, and hunger. They need to learn more about the "obstacles" surrounding at-risk and homeless students.

Question: Are the challenges faced by rural homeless students different from those of their urban homeless counterparts? How so?

Kim: Rural areas do not have the resources that urban areas have. Transportation is a major challenge for many in rural areas.

Sarah: Rural homeless students typically cannot participate in extracurricular activities due to lack of transportation. Some are very isolated with little or no social supports.

Question: Demographically, describe the typical rural homeless family who has a child enrolled in a MPISD school.

Sarah: The typical rural homeless family in Mt. Pleasant is a two-parent Hispanic family with one wage earner. They usually live in a doubled-up situation with friends or relatives in inadequate conditions. Males are encouraged to go to work as soon as they are able and even to quit school in order to do so.

Question: How does the academic achievement of rural homeless students compare with that of non-homeless students?

Kim: I'm not sure that rural vs. urban should really be compared as to the academic achievement of the homeless student. Any homeless student, whether rural or urban, faces many of the same problems and challenges. Any child can achieve academically if given the opportunity to do so, whether homeless or non-homeless. Socio-economic status can hinder the learning cycle of students, but that does not mean that all students cannot achieve, if given the proper tools. We must educate those around us on the issues involving students [suffering] from poverty and the learning-style of these students.

Sarah: Homeless students can be high achievers, but imagine what they could do if they had the proper tools: nutrition, rest, adequate transportation, a space of their own, books to read, and access to the Internet.

Question: What special programs do you offer to help homeless students succeed in school? Are rural homeless students able to take part in these programs easily? If not, how do you accommodate their special circumstances?

Kim: MPISD currently has 21st Century Community Learning Centers, K-12 . All students, including homeless students, are encouraged to attend this after-school program to receive extra tutorials as well as benefit in the following programs: FastForward, Renaissance Math, Moving with Math, Fluent Reader, Thinking & Linking Skills, and all academic enrichment activities. Each shelter we service is set up with homework rooms. These rooms are equipped with computers, printers, computer software relevant to education, school supplies, books, etc. All students are referred to Communities In Schools where they receive extra attention in needed areas.

Sarah: The 21st Century Program is offered to all students and transportation is provided. Students receive help with their homework and tutoring in the areas where they are having difficulty. They are also exposed to enrichment activities.

Question: Based on your work at MPISD, relate an anecdote involving a rural homeless family/child who overcame hardships and experienced a beneficial education-related outcome.

Sarah: One homeless student this year, a sixth grader, made a lasting impression in my mind. I will call him Roger. I first came to know Roger when he was in foster care. He and his two sisters had been removed from their home due to abuse and neglect. He and one of his sisters were released back into the custody of their mother. Shortly afterwards they became homeless. Some nights they would get a motel but sometimes they would sleep in their car. His mother refused to go into the shelter for fear that she would lose her children once again. Now Roger is not one to draw attention to himself, but he gained the attention of some educators when he took the TAKS test. In math he got 42 of the 44 questions correct. In English he answered 38 of 40 questions correctly, and in reading he only missed 1 of 42 questions. He was commended in all areas and received a 51/14 scale score. One social worker commented, "Roger's name should be beside the word resilient in the dictionary.

Another remarkable thing about Roger is his ability to care for others even in the face of adversity, and I will give you an example. He and his little sister attended the Bicycle Rodeo that is sponsored every year by Communities in Schools. This is when students come to learn about bicycle safety. They all receive helmets and a "license" from the police department. All participants are entered into a drawing to win a bike. Both Roger and his little sister just happened to win, but Roger's best friend did not win anything. Roger then gave his bike to his friend saying, "I can share with my little sister." I think we can all learn a lot from Roger.

For more information about Mt. Pleasant ISD programs and services for their homeless students, contact Kim at kstovall@mpisd.net or Sarah at sposkey@mpisd.net.