JazzVibe

DUBOIS, Pa. (WJAC) — The American Rescue Plan injected some much-needed money to all the states, especially for education.

Dubois Area School District announced that it plans to direct some of that grant money toward assisting their homeless students.

A Dubois Area principal told us there are about 70 homeless students in the school district.

And with $51,000 in grant money, they plan to give these students a helping hand over the next three years.

"They hear that term 'homeless' and automatically they think, you know, all that family is living in a, and that does happen. It does, but it can be as simple as a house fire, a working family, you know, the older students may be in college," Dr. Edward Dombroski, the C.G. Johnson Elementary principal, told 6 News.

"It can affect any family."

The state Department of Education identified 38,000 Pennsylvania students as homeless during the 2019-2020 school year. The National Center for Homelessness Education also said over 1.5 million students reported homelessness nationwide between 2017 and 2018.

And that was before the pandemic.

"So, 'homeless' means individuals who lack a fixed and regular, adequate nighttime residence. So basically, they don't have a place to put their head to sleep at night."

Dombroski said transportation, a big expense for many people, is a "big budget item" for them.

But, he said they want to go further than that.

"Aside from transportation, other student supports that can be covered through this grant are basic hygiene items," Dombroski laid out.

"We give packets of soap, toothpaste, deodorant, things like that to students in need. We can give basic clothing items to students to get them through hard times."

He said some money could also go toward temporary housing at hotels for families and getting high school seniors the necessary credits to graduate.

Dombroski also explained that the federal money was allocated down to the states, and then Harrisburg divvied that money to almost every district in Pennsylvania. The amount given to school districts was based on how many students they identified consistently, year after year, as homeless.

"It is not unique to Dubois. Almost every school district, public school district here in Pennsylvania received that money."

Dombroski said they've had a program for the homeless before, but it was "on a smaller scale."

He recognized that it's one thing to give someone a home, but it's another to make someone feel at home.

"And it goes far beyond just homeless students. You know, every student that walks in our door is greeted, and I know this is district-wide, greeted by adults at those front doors, 'Good morning,' a smiling face. ...They know this is a place that cares for them and wants them to succeed."

Dombroski also said he's working with a local group called The Builders to provide after-school activities to these kids, among other things.

ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7y6iamqRfmcKju8isZKybmKS8rb%2BMoaamnZyawLR50q2snZ2eqcA%3D