32 Peninsula School District Students Reported Homeless in 2011-12

Thirty-two students in the Peninsula School District were reported to be homeless last school year, according to the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Homeless students are counted as part of the federal McKinney-Vento act, which defines a student as homeless if he or she lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

The act requires districts to provide homeless students with the same access to education as everyone else, including transportation to and from the same district that the student was attending before he or she became homeless, according to OSPI.

Statewide, the number of homeless students topped 27,000, reflecting an increase of 5.1 percent from 2010-11 and up 46.7 percent from 2007-08, according to a press release issued  by OSPI on Monday.

The number of homeless students in the Peninsula increased slightly since 2009-10. But during 2007-08, the numbers of homeless students in Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula peaked at 77, according to the data collected.

The school district website reports that about 8,700 students are enrolled in the district.

According to OSPI's data provided, one of the homeless students in the area was living in shelters, 29 were living with relatives or friends, one lived in a hotel, and one was living in an "unsheltered" situation, which could include cars or campgrounds.

The number of homeless students in the Peninsula School District in 2011-12 was the highest among 1st, 2nd, 6th and 8th graders, according to the OSPI data.

Homeless Students in Washington State by School District

(as reported by each school district)

• 2011-12 Data
• 2010-11 Data
• 2009-10 Data
• 2008-09 Data
• 2007-08 Data

-- Data from OSPI