Homeless students challenge schools

[NVMojo]

:cry:

When Jim Walker's daughter, Amy, was in third grade at Hollingsworth Elementary School, the small family was homeless, living sometimes in weekly rental motels, with friends or in an unregistered motor home parked near Bonanza Road and 11th Street.

"It was kind of bad because we were living where all the gunfighters are," Amy, 9, said.

Walker, a disabled single father who at the time was addicted to drugs, would take his daughter to school each morning, then spend the day hustling for food money.

"We hopped from place to place, struggling real hard to try to make it," he said. "It was hand-to-mouth every day."

Their story isn't unusual to Doug Wilson, the principal who oversees the school on Ogden Avenue near Stewart Avenue.

He has heard parents talking about how they have no place to sleep at night. He knows at least one 10-year-old boy who never has had a stable home, instead living his entire life in motels. Many of his students come to school hungry.

"These stories happen all the time," Wilson said.

Because Hollingsworth is near a downtown cluster of cheap daily and weekly rental motels, the school is one of several in the Las Vegas Valley that has a large population of homeless students.

more...

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-17-Sun-2006/news/11434973.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. One of the better things about my school district

is that we have a great program for homeless kids. We were even commended by the US Dept of Ed.

[Miss Chybil]

2. And so much money rolling around int Vegas... nt

[brentspeak]

3. "...a 12-year-old boy who was sleeping behind a trash bin with his mom."

I guess all the mother has to do is "pull herself up by her bootstraps". :sarcasm:

The lack of safe, affordable housing in this nation is -- or rather, should be -- criminal.

[WindRavenX]

4. maybe if we didn't fight these goddamn made up wars...

...we could help our country :cry:

[SemperEadem]

5. nah... even when we weren't fighting made up wars

Reagan inculcated people with the attitude of not caring about those less fortunate... he made it fashion to kick those not rich enough to make his radar screen around the block and to the curb. Heck--gave everyone permission to be bigots again. All under the guise of smaller government!! Get those lazy bums and welfare mothers off of the dole!!! They're homeless by their own fault--should have been born rich.

[MountainLaurel]

6. But remember, it's illegal in Vegas

To give food to the homeless.

:mad: